Chapter 5 introduces a series of more concentrated studies on specific seasons of the feste di ballo. By the secondo Settecento, the feste were an annual characteristic spectacle within Neapolitan theatrical life. The initial years of the reign of Ferdinando and Maria Carolina witnessed an unprecedented breadth of artistic patronage with the migration of theatrical performances (tragic and comic) and the feste di ballo to the Reggia di Caserta, the opulent palace rivaling even Versailles in expanse and splendor. In particular, during the period of 1769–71, multiple feste were organized annually for the newly finished court theater at Caserta. Surviving archival documents in the Casa Reale Antica (fasc. 2221–2224) provide copious details of the transformation of the space into a vast area for dancing, including the contractual agreements with artistic personnel, financial summaries of the considerable expenses, and ephemera about these events. The archival sources convey in greater detail many of the broad references found in contemporary notices appearing in the Diario Ordinario and Notizie del Mondo. Taken together, these materials illuminate the far-reaching resonance and reception of the carnevale seasons at Caserta.

Chapter 4 focuses on treatises by Giambattista Dufort, Il Trattato del Ballo Nobile (1728), and Gennaro Magri, Trattato teorico-prattico di ballo (1779). Given the intentionally didactic nature of Dufort’s treatise and its concentration on the minuet, the presentation of the fundamentals, mechanics of the genre, and how to execute the mandatory steps are the primary points for discussion. Magri’s later treatise is a much broader reflection on the contemporary dance environment of Naples (including ample reference to the pantomime and grottesco traditions), and it mirrors the preference for the contradance that emerged in the latter part of the century. Accordingly, Magri concentrates on this more intricate social dance, not only providing the reader with detailed explanations of its content but also devising specific graphic notation paired to original music. This approach provides unprecedented insight into contemporary social dancing and its place within the aristocratic culture of Naples. Given Magri’s career as a primo ballerino in the grottesco tradition, the narrative references ongoing polemics with Charles LePicq (student of Noverre and principal exponent of pantomime style). Finally, Magri’s role at the royal festivities in the capital city and in Caserta is considered.

The establishment of Naples as an independent kingdom in the eighteenth century not only drew the European diplomatic corps to the city but also initiated a broad civic renewal and beautification of the city. Although Naples had been a cultural and musical capital of Europe since the previous century, the coalescence of political stability and social renewal with the intertwined network of artistic institutions (conservatories, theaters, churches, and patrons) propelled the kingdom into continental prominence. The city became a destination point for the vast number of travelers moving across the continent in search of pleasure, leisure or of “knowledge” (particularly regarding the reclamation of antiquity), or simply to follow prevailing fashions. These travelers – often young, affluent, educated, and with ties to aristocratic birthright – headed south for the “Grand Tour.” As a “must see,” Naples became an obligatory stop, and the experiences of travelers were immortalized in numerous books, journals, periodicals, travelogues, memoirs, visual arts, etc. Their reflections often merged around the broad themes of natural phenomena, the patrimony of ancient civilizations, and the unprecedented diversity of entertainment (above all, opera). Through these wide-ranging sources, this chapter documents how Naples entered the public imagination as a broad ideal of culture.