"Pignasecca" and its legend of the thieving magpies

The stalls, fishmongers and tall buildings give the area a fresh, unique atmosphere even on the hottest days. As well as being an obligatory route for those heading from the Montesanto district towards the city centre, "Pignasecca" offers far more than just a way through.

The distinctive charm of this district is woven into its very name, which recalls a legend typical of centuries-old Neapolitan tradition - a tale involving the city's residents and thieving magpies. This legend is known as the "Leggenda del bosco di Biancomangiare" (Legend of the Biancomangiare Wood). During the 16th century, the area now known as Pignasecca was home to a vast wood belonging to the noble Pignatelli family of Monteleone, called the "Biancomangiare" wood. The unusual name came from a very popular dessert of the time, still made today, made with vanilla, sugar and milk.

It is said that in that period a certain libertinism was practised in Naples, encouraged by economic prosperity. This carefree spirit led the inhabitants, even the less well-off, to give in to forbidden pleasures that often resulted in secret love affairs. This lack of restraint touched every social class, including even the clergy. According to legend, the thieving magpies that lived in the "Biancomangiare" wood would sneak into the homes of Neapolitans during their intimate moments. They stole whatever objects were within beak's reach - priests' robes, underwear, shiny trinkets and much more - and carried them up into the high branches of the trees in the wood.

And so curious Neapolitans could look up and see the objects piled on the treetops, and would indulge in gossip often involving bishops, nuns and other prominent figures. In essence, the wood became a forerunner of the modern gossip magazine! The situation became so unmanageable and irritating that it was decided a bull of excommunication should be issued... against the magpies themselves! "In the name of God, by my grave responsibility as vicar of Christ on this earth, I, Bishop of Naples and its provinces, excommunicate from this day forth all the magpies of this district, indeed... all the magpies of this city", read the text of the bull, which was hung from the tallest tree in the wood as a warning to the mischievous birds.

A decidedly peculiar solution, but then again, we are in the realm of legend, after all! Three days after the bull was issued, the trees of the "Biancomangiare" wood mysteriously began to wither one after another. The mischievous magpies vanished along with the trees, losing their source of supply among the green branches. Before long, the area became a barren stretch of land that came to be known, fittingly, as "Pignasecca".

There is another, less romantic but more plausible theory about the origin of the name "Pignasecca", which relates to matters of urban development. In 1536, during the construction of Via Toledo, there was extensive building work that led to the demolition of some of the surrounding green areas. Only one pine tree was left standing in the area, and it became a refuge for the thieving magpies, who hid their stolen loot there. Annoyed residents, in an attempt to drive away the troublesome birds, damaged the pine tree, which as a result withered and dried out. This is how the term "Pignasecca" (dried pine) is said to have come about.

We cannot say for certain which of the two stories is the true origin of the word "Pignasecca". What remains, however, is the uniqueness of a district steeped in folk tradition, one that captivates tourists with its lively, picturesque vitality. Among the district's residents, some still claim to be able to hear the cawing of thieving magpies at dawn, before the market has properly got going, clumsily darting about after being chased from their homes.