Despite its fair share of social problems, Naples is one city with no shortage of good spirit thanks to the distinctive brio and humour of the local people.
This makes it the ideal venue for a four-day festival devoted to the serious study of 'L'arte della felicita' - the art of happiness.
Philosophers, psychologists, doctors, authors and health, lifestyle and religious gurus from all over the world are coming to Naples between March 23 and 26 to discuss human contentment. Thousands of Neapolitans flocked to the debut edition of the festival last year. Organizers are expecting to have an even bigger hit on their hands this time.
Debates, lectures, workshops, film screenings, open-air meditation sessions and theatre performances are among the events in a packed programme. The 2006 festival focuses on the subject of dealing with grief.
It will be kicked off with a lecture on "cynical aesthetics" by renowned French philosopher Michel Onfray, whose writings celebrate hedonism, reason and atheism. Another guest of honour is American psychiatrist Howard Cutler, who wrote a best-selling book with the Dalai Lama also entitled The Art of Happiness.
Cutler will give a lecture entitled "Thinking Grief".
Palden Gyatso, a Tibetan Buddhist monk who spent 33 of his 75 years in Chinese prisons, will talk about the strength of the human spirit in a satellite-link interview. Professional women from India, the Palestinian Territories, Israel, Somalia and Italy will compare how grief is experienced in different cultures. There will also be events on expressing grief, grief in young people, collective grief and mourning after war.
"Naples has shown it is ready to host high-level international events that involve the public in issues that may seem distant from the problems of our everyday lives, but are not," said festival organizer Luciano Stella. An English-language version of the programme can be downloaded at the festival website - www.artedellafelicita.it.
