Partenope in festa. Musiche e spettacoli per le nozze di Carlo di Borbone e Maria Amalia di Sassonia (Napoli, 1738)

The celebrations held in Naples for the wedding of King Charles of Bourbon to Maria Amalia of Saxony (1738) offer an interesting example of political propaganda implemented by means of a wise use of feasts. The court, the ecclesiastical institutions and the city authorities compete to honor the important dynastic event and spread a climate of exultation and consensus. The numerous initiatives aim to strengthen the union between the Bourbons and the Wettins and their respective cultures through a dense network of symbols and allegories. In this complex and stratified context, musical events – hosted in the most diverse venues and arranged along a well-thought-out calendar – play a fundamental role. Among the tributes paid to the royal couple, the encomiastic serenata "Le nozze di Amore e di Psiche" by Giovanni Baldanza and Leonardo Leo, performed in the San Carlo theater, occupies a prominent place.