A God Among Men: The Culture Division Meets Photographer Alessandro Tione
Religione Monoteistica is an illuminating look at how a city’s obsession with one man elevated him to the level of a deity.
Taken from Alessandro Tione’s Religione Monotheistica.
“I have always loved to communicate through my eyes,” reveals Alessandro Tione, the photographer behind the ongoing project Religione Monoteistica. “Photography is the medium through which I can express my way of seeing and living life.”
In April, after five years of artfully documenting Maradona’s presence in the city, Alessandro released Religione Monoteistica – an independent photo book.
With a title as provocative as the subject matter, this glowing archive is as much a societal and anthropological study as it is an artistic one. Diego Maradona’s influence on the city of Naples will live long in the annals of history, and Alessandro’s photography – which sits at the beating heart of Neapolitan subculture – goes a long way to capturing the magnitude of his impact.
What began in 2018 has morphed into an exercise in cultural storytelling, with the Campania capital providing plenty of inspiration. “It is a great school and setting for telling stories. The city has much to tell, as do the people who live in it,” Alessandro explains. “They’re heirs to a great history and an immense cultural tradition.”
Above all, Religione Monoteistica is a testament to the never-ending romance between the city of Naples and its ethereal saviour: Diego Armando Maradona.
The gestures of love, tributes and urban art have transformed the streets of Naples; Maradona, the man they call El Dios, is everywhere. “The love and devotion for Maradona is still very tangible; you can feel it – in people’s stories, in the spontaneous writings on the walls, in the new murals, in the presence of Diego on posters and flags, next to those of the new players.” Alessandro reflects fondly: “It really is true that in Naples, those who love do not forget.”
Taken from Alessandro Tione’s Religione Monotheistica.
And why would they? Diego Maradona’s brilliance didn’t just deliver silverware, it lifted the spirit, and the outward appearance, of a long-maligned city. “In addition to being a God on the pitch, Maradona was the city’s leader. He always stood up for the Napolitani, against everything and everyone.” Alessandro recalls his post-match comments against Verona as a poignant example:
“They received us with a banner that helped me to suddenly understand that the battle of Naples was not just football. ‘Welcome to Italy,’ the banner said. It was the North against the South, the racists against the poor.”
As Alessandro adds: “Diego’s victories were the victories of the city… a city that learned to win for the first time, thanks to him. This, in my opinion, made him immortal.”
Over 30 years of nostalgia are etched into the walls of Naples, and in recent years, that nostalgia has fed the city’s growing tourism. “After Diego’s death (in 2020) there was certainly a change,” explains Alessandro. “Mario Filardi’s mural in the Quartieri Spagnoli became a place of pilgrimage and the most touristy spot in the city. It’s contributed to a transformation of the neighbourhood, creating an economy that – although positive for the city as a whole – brings with it negative aspects, like gentrification. There are less and less houses, and more bed and breakfasts.”
“I certainly prefer the Quartieri Spagnoli like that, rather than with degradation and delinquency,” Alessandro clarifies. “For the rest of the city, the love for Diego in these five years has never changed, it is always there.” It’s a reminder that while the shrines to Maradona aren’t just a pretty scene, or a valuable tourist attraction – they are part of an ecosystem that includes the livelihoods of ordinary Neapolitans.
Taken from Alessandro Tione’s Religione Monotheistica.
Another essential part of that ecosystem is directly linked to the title of Alessandro’s book. Naples is certainly not a monotheistic place. It is unmistakably and deeply religious, and its devotion to the Church is as resolute as its devotion to its football club.
As Alessandro explains, “Naples is a very believing city. We have always been a people who have clung to various faiths, from the official Church ones to the Pagan ones. We love and are devoted to San Gennaro, as we are to the siren Parthenope, to the Madonna dell’Arco, to Virgil’s egg, and so many others. But there is only one divinity that has proven its existence in Naples.” He’s talking, of course, about Diego.
Every Neapolitan must approach those beliefs in different ways. But there is an overriding theme, which Alessandro captures perfectly: “The belief in Napoli, at least for me, is to believe that if Napoli wins, the city wins. We are very attached to the city because it is our land and our home. To have such a deep faith in your city’s team is a constant thought, because we are people who, as it is said, ‘live in the street.’”
This summer, with the ending of a 33-year wait for that third Scudetto, nostalgia was swapped for celebration.
Alongside the tributes to Diego have emerged new banners, new murals, new artworks, adorned with the faces of new heroes. Stall holders are selling everything from flags of Kvaratskelia’s native Georgia, to replicas of Osimhen’s emblematic face mask, to lifesize cutouts of just about every player who featured for the team this season. “The destiny of those who win in this city is to remain immortal,” Alessandro proudly affirms. “They will talk about Kvara and Osi in the years to come, and the walls of the city have already imprinted them.”
And while Naples prepares for a period of festivities like no other, there is time to reflect on the years of pain that went before. “I want new heroes, because I want new victories,” says Alessandro.
“I’d rather not wait another 33 years.”
