Project

The morning of Wednesday, 10 July, Masaniello made the newly fashioned“army” parade through the principal streets of Naples. Morethan 100,000 marched, among them thousands of women. The women, in theirunaccustomed role, seemed sure of themselves and resolute, as if to say,“Even the women know how to take up arms, and to fight for thefatherland.”

The spectacle troubled the viceroy and knights shut inside the castle, butthey already had a plan. For the coming afternoon was the appointed time toread the capitoli, the list of things the people asked for,at the church of the Carmine. For this event, under cover of a profferedhand to Masaniello, the bandit, Miccaro Perrone had stepped in. He hadslipped bandits into Naples by the hundreds, claiming that they wereindispensable for the people’s safety. The manoeuvre had awakenedstrong suspicion: dottore Javarone had warned Masaniellothe day before, and Masaniello told Perrone to “walk a straightpath” with him. But, once set in motion, the machinery could not behalted.

On Wednesday, while Masaniello was awaiting the reading of thecapitoli, at Vespers or a little before, some banditsfired several harquebus shots at him, but failed to touch him. He at oncepursued the assailants, who sought refuge in the convent of the Carmine,shouting “treason” several times. The people pounced on othersinside the church, killing them by dozens, even by the altar and on thealtar table. Their anger was immense.