After outlining the political climate experienced by elites in the Spanish- dominated territories of Southern Italy after the death of Charles II and the rise of Philip V, the essay delves into the journey undertaken in the 1720s by Theatine Giuseppe Maria Naselli, which brought him from Sicily to the Spanish court in Madrid. Scope of the journey was to secure his appointment as Bishop of Cefalù, a title granted to him by Philip V, just before he lost the Island. A fascinating case, as the personal ambitions of this Sicilian nobleman became profoundly intertwined with the broader geopolitical struggle among Europe's leading monarchies. The essay analyzes it through key lenses such as network, mobility and identity, and, above all, loyalty, seen as a dynamic and volatile value, swiftly adapting to shifting wartime scenarios. Thus, the journey of Naselli becomes a metaphor for the impact of grand historical transformations on the destinies of Europe's elites
Dopo aver introdotto il clima politico vissuto dalle élite dei territori meridionali appartenenti alla monarchia spagnola in seguito alla morte di Carlo II e all'avvento di Filippo V, il saggio esamina il viaggio che dalla Sicilia, negli anni Venti del Settecento, condusse il teatino Giuseppe Maria Naselli presso la corte madrilena alla ricerca della conferma nella carica di vescovo di Cefalù concessagli da Filippo V alla vigilia della sua definitiva perdita dell'Isola. Una vicenda singolare che intreccia gli interessi di un esponente della nobiltà alla partita in gioco tra le maggiori monarchie europee, analizzata secondo le categorie di rete, mobilità, identità ma, soprattutto, fedeltà intesa come valore mutevole, cangiante, 'politico' nel suo adattarsi ai nuovi scenari aperti dalla crisi bellica. Il viaggio di Giuseppe Maria Naselli, insomma, come metafora del precipitato della grande storia nei destini delle élites europee
Nel disordine delle fedeltà. Il viaggio del teatino Giuseppe Maria Naselli alla corte di Filippo V, 1723-1725
Lina Scalisi
2025-01-01
Abstract
After outlining the political climate experienced by elites in the Spanish- dominated territories of Southern Italy after the death of Charles II and the rise of Philip V, the essay delves into the journey undertaken in the 1720s by Theatine Giuseppe Maria Naselli, which brought him from Sicily to the Spanish court in Madrid. Scope of the journey was to secure his appointment as Bishop of Cefalù, a title granted to him by Philip V, just before he lost the Island. A fascinating case, as the personal ambitions of this Sicilian nobleman became profoundly intertwined with the broader geopolitical struggle among Europe's leading monarchies. The essay analyzes it through key lenses such as network, mobility and identity, and, above all, loyalty, seen as a dynamic and volatile value, swiftly adapting to shifting wartime scenarios. Thus, the journey of Naselli becomes a metaphor for the impact of grand historical transformations on the destinies of Europe's elitesI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.