The recent inferno that engulfed the Romani camp in Cupa Perillo, Scampia, is far more than just a news item. It represents a violent and predictable resurgence of a problem that the municipal administration has consistently failed to resolve. The blaze necessitated the evacuation of approximately sixty individuals and affected an area where, according to initial ARPAC findings, urban and special waste, discarded tires, plastics, textiles, electrical and electronic equipment, and bulky items were present.
A Catalog of Degradation, Not an Isolated Incident
This incident is a stark reminder of the chronic environmental and social degradation plaguing Naples’ northern districts. For decades, residents of Scampia, Secondigliano, Miano, and Piscinola have been forced to endure toxic fumes from recurring fires, learning to seal their homes at the slightest change in air quality. Entire families, including children, the elderly, and vulnerable individuals, live in constant fear of severe respiratory illnesses. For them, the Cupa Perillo fire is not merely a breaking news story; it is yet another confirmation of an environmental sentence silently endured.
Following the fire, the Municipality activated social services, the Prefecture coordinated relief efforts, ARPAC initiated environmental monitoring, and the Region pledged attention and verification based on scientific data. All these actions are correct and necessary, but they are insufficient.
The ‘Caivano Model’ and Naples’ Northern Districts
Cupa Perillo, Scampia, and Secondigliano are no longer merely local concerns. They fall within the scope of the so-called ‘Caivano Model,’ extended by Decree-Law 208 of 2024 (subsequently converted into Law 20 of 2025) to territories characterized by high social vulnerability. Naples, specifically the Scampia and Secondigliano districts, is included in this framework.
This very decree has often been criticized by the center-left as an emergency, centralized, and propagandistic measure. Yet, it addresses deep-rooted, long-standing issues in Naples that the center-left, almost continuously in power in the city, has never managed to resolve, with Scampia and the Romani camp being prime examples.
In the context of Cupa Perillo, the commissioner’s directives include the removal of historical waste piles, securing the area, environmental remediation, redevelopment of the Melito-Scampia perimeter junction with Viale della Resistenza, the gradual dismantling of the settlement, and support for families to find housing solutions and achieve autonomy.
Remediation, Security, and the Future of the Romani Camp
The question then becomes simple, even brutal: if the Caivano Model is so flawed, why is it precisely what is needed to intervene where the city’s left-wing government has failed for years?
No one can reasonably believe that such a delicate social issue can be resolved with a slogan or an impromptu eviction. However, no one can continue to tell residents of the northern area that everything must remain in limbo due to its complexity. While politicians debated, waste accumulated, fires recurred, families closed their windows, and residents continued to live beside an open urban wound.
Politics Cannot Hide Behind Complexity Anymore
Mayor Manfredi has emphasized inter-institutional collaboration. This is positive. But collaboration is measured by results, not press releases. And the immediate expected outcome is singular: to end the era of fires, remediate Cupa Perillo, definitively dismantle the camp, and restore dignity to those who live within and around that area.
From Words to Deeds at Cupa Perillo
Because an emergency is extinguished by firefighters. Decades of failure, however, are only extinguished by concrete actions.
Source: https://www.stylo24.it/cupa-perillo-scampia-modello-caivano/
