The prestigious Italian American Museum in New York will host, from April 16 to August 29, 2026, the exhibition “Totò and His Naples”, a brand‑new show celebrating the profound, inseparable bond between Totò (Antonio de Curtis) and his native city, as part of the official events marking 2,500 years since the founding of Naples.
From Naples to New York: a cultural bridge
After its remarkable success in Naples, the exhibition — made possible thanks to the support of the Comitato Nazionale Neapolis 2500 and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation — now arrives in New York as a key stop in an international project designed to strengthen the cultural dialogue between Naples and the world.
Totò, an artist who has long embodied this symbolic bridge, remains one of the most extraordinary interpreters of a Neapolitan identity that resonates far beyond local borders.
Curators, organizers and partners
The project is curated by Alessandro Nicosia and Marino Niola, and is organized and produced by C.O.R. – Creare Organizzare Realizzare.
The exhibition is made possible with the participation of Totò’s heirs, who have contributed unpublished materials and precious firsthand testimonies, and with the collaboration of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in New York, reinforcing the institutional and cultural ties between Italy and the Italian American community.
Totò and Naples: an artistic and human identity
“Totò and His Naples” aims to convey the complexity of the relationship between Antonio de Curtis and the city of Naples: an original, generative bond in which his gaze, his comic language and that mutable, universal “mask” that made him a timeless icon were formed.
Beyond any chronological dimension, the dialogue between Totò and Naples emerges as a shared cultural heritage: Naples comes back to life through its most emblematic interpreter, while Totò finds in the city the deepest matrix of his artistic and human identity. “Neapolitanness” is presented not merely as a geographical belonging, but as a worldview, a sensibility, and a distinctive expressive code.
A declaration of love for his city
Totò himself described this visceral connection with Naples in deeply personal terms:
“I remain a Neapolitan, with all the strengths and flaws of a Neapolitan. Every fifteen days I go back to Naples for a very short stay; I can’t stay away from my city for longer, the people there give me the warmth of life. And every time I’m moved to tears like a child.”
This statement underlines the intimate and indispensable nature of his relationship with the city, a thread that never broke throughout his life and career.
Theatre, cinema, poetry, music: a multifaceted legacy
The exhibition also highlights how this bond with Naples runs through Totò’s entire body of work:
- Theatre: from his work with the Compagnia Stabile Napoletana to key collaborations with the De Filippo brothers, which helped shape modern Neapolitan theatre.
- Cinema: including masterpieces such as “Miseria e nobiltà” and “L’oro di Napoli”, where his characters become a lens through which audiences around the world discovered the city and its people.
- Poetry: with iconic texts like “’A livella” and “Napule, tu e io”, in which his poetic voice captures the humour, melancholy and wisdom of everyday life.
- Music: with songs like “Malafemmena”, a quintessential expression of Neapolitan lyricism, blending emotional intensity and melodic elegance.
An immersive journey through Totò’s universe
Through photographs, film clips, stage costumes, original documents and artefacts, the exhibition offers visitors an immersive journey into Totò’s artistic universe, bringing to light lesser‑known aspects of his life and career.
The curatorial path invites the public to re‑discover not only the comedian and actor, but also the poet, songwriter and keen observer of social change, revealing the full depth of his creative personality.
Totò and Italian America: a shared memory
For the many Americans of Neapolitan origin, Totò represents far more than an actor or a screen icon: he is a living symbol of collective memory, the embodiment of a cultural identity that crosses oceans and generations.
By hosting “Totò and His Naples”, the Italian American Museum becomes a place where this heritage can be recognized, shared and passed on, offering Italian Americans and international visitors alike the chance to reconnect with a piece of Naples’ soul through one of its most beloved sons.
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