Abstract: Dominique Fernandez’s work offers itself as an invitation to revisit the Southern parts of Italy and unearth their mythical coefficient. The writer’s Italian peregrinations are a journey through time and space. Naples seems to be of special charm for him. Novels and travelogues combine to give the fullest picture possible of the Parthenopean city. The contrast in light versus dark zones recalls the ambivalence of Parthenope, the Neapolitans’ mermaid-mother.
