N.031 - Un Coccodrillo a Napoli

The Crocodile of Maschio Angioino is one of the city’s most iconic symbols and one of Naples’ unresolved mysteries. Why is there a stuffed crocodile hanging from the triumphal arch outside the castle? Many legends surround the animal: some portray it as the killer of prisoners in the Fossa del Miglio, or of the many lovers of Queen Giovanna, while a more widely accepted version tells of it as an offering to the Madonna del Parto by a soldier returning from Egypt. With her illustration, Ada offers her own interpretation of the Crocodile and the castle, capturing their grandeur and imposing presence. The crocodile’s gaping jaws and intense eyes dominate the foreground, so large they seem to envelop the monument, radiating an energy that feels almost tangible.