At the State Archives of Naples, we are all children again: from 7 December to 30 January 2023 "The Toy Fair - Antique toy exhibition"

They would make the joy of the crying girl who moved Italians since 1928: “ For your little girl / you never buy toys / Mum, you only buy perfumes for yourself! ”

These are over a thousand antique toys set up in eight thematic areas, with an imaginative scenography by Donatella Dentice d'Accadia, on the exhibition floor of the State Archives of Naples (piazzetta del Grande Archivio, 5), directed by Candida Carrino.

You are projected into a fairy-tale environment, aided by the ancient setting of the Monastery of Saints Severino and Sossio, its frescoes between the 1400s and 1600s; its vestiges, from the eighth century; its Cloisters an oasis of peace.

The exhibition draws on Vincenzo Capuano's valuable collection of antique toys, which has collected over 8 thousand, and its exhibition itinerary is the confirmation of an assumption: "There is nothing more serious than play", the focal point of the imagination and the creativity of children and adults.

The specimens on display mainly refer to the years between 1860 and 1940, the golden age for toys; however, there are also the oldest ones, starting from the first half of the 18th century. These are very rare, sometimes unique pieces that demonstrate the ingenuity and technical and artisan skills of the creators, such as to leave you amazed.

An ideal destination for the large tourist flow expected in Naples in the key days between December and January, also to discover the charm of the State Archives and its treasures and rarities, also given the proximity to the inevitable stop in San Gregorio Armeno.

The Exhibition will be inaugurated on Wednesday 7 December, at 11:00.