From October 31st to January 25th, 2026, the Belvedere Hall of the Royal Palace in Naples will host Totò and his Naples, the unprecedented exhibition that celebrates the great inseparable bond between Totò and his city on the occasion of the celebrations for the 2500 years since its foundation. Precisely because of this strong bond, it was chosen to host, in the city he loved so much, this major exhibition of the Neapolitan comedian and emblem of Naples in the world, as the first stage of a project that will continue in New York.

The exhibition Totò and his Naples is promoted by the National Committee Neapolis 2500 with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Royal Palace of Naples (Ministry of Culture), with the participation of the Heirs of Totò.

The project is curated by Alessandro Nicosia and Marino Niola and is organized and produced by C.O.R. Creare Organizzare Realizzare.

Antonio de Curtis, known as Totò, born in Naples in the Rione Sanità in 1898 and called The Prince of Laughter, always carried his city in his heart, which always recognized him as one of its most illustrious sons, celebrating him in the alleys and squares with murals immortalizing his iconic face and statues making him eternal. His art has always interacted with Naples, a city that is both root and horizon, a mirror of a complex and universal identity. Totò is a living expression of this world-city, a comedic laboratory that intertwines Neapolitan tradition with linguistic games, famous phrases, and nonsense, giving voice to an artistic heritage that spans centuries and borders, influencing cinema, TV, and pop culture, and becoming collective memory.

The exhibition is a cultural project that aims to evoke his deep and pervasive Neapolitan identity, both amusing and melancholic, embodying the relationship and love for Neapolitan tradition and culture, its transcendent dimension, and its socio-cultural legacy with the aim of stimulating people's souls:“I remain a Neapolitan with all the merits and flaws of a Neapolitan. Every fifteen to twenty days I return to Naples for a very short stay; I cannot stay away from my city for too long; the people there give me the warmth of life. And every time I am moved like a child” – as Totò used to say.

The numerous cultural, professional, and personal ties with his city will be recounted, bringing out many unpublished and surprising aspects. It will be an opportunity to revisit these stories from a different perspective, rich in insights and curiosities, and an opportunity for discovery for younger generations.