South-risk, South-safety: the lightning rod in enlightenment Naples

Abstract

The Enlightenment’s pursuit of natural philosophy found fertile ground in Naples, which became a leading center for the dissemination of Newtonian physics and the study of electricity. Within this intellectual climate, a network of scholars, including Della Torre, Bammacaro, Ardinghelli, and Poli, fostered experimentation, technological innovation, and early strategies for confronting environmental risk. This study examines the introduction of lightning rods in Naples as both a scientific breakthrough and a symbolic gesture of risk mitigation. British diplomat William Hamilton played a pivotal role in promoting their adoption, notably through the Italian translation of Chiare istruzioni per costruire ed innalzare sicuri conduttori, translated by astronomer Felice Sabatelli. By making Franklin’s theories on electrical conductors accessible to Italian audiences, the pamphlet helped foster a new culture of safety and public awareness. Naples thus emerges as a pioneering site where vulnerability catalyzed technological ingenuity and cultural transformation.