Eduardo De Filippo

Self-portrait, undated, lithograph, mm 690×49

"My dear Maurizio, 

always remember that to insults, to offenses 

and to slanders the Neapolitan must respond with his pride! 

Yours, Eduardo” 

The belonging of the great actor, director, and playwright Eduardo De Filippo to the circle of intellectuals who met at Paolo Ricci's house, where he met Valenzi, and the support for his commitment as mayor of Naples is also evidenced by the dedication of this self-portrait. One of the anecdotes told by Maurizio in his autobiography, regarding the final drafting of the text Napoli Milionaria: Paolo Ricci, Maurizio recounts, wanted to remove the famous phrase "Adda passà 'a nuttata" from the script, considering it an example of the resignation of the Neapolitan people, and this led to a long argument with Eduardo that amused the onlookers.