ABSTRACT
Naples, a true capital under the Angevin and Aragonese dynasties, lost this position at the beginning of the sixteenth century, and for two centuries, from 1503 to 1707, was reduced to being the seat of Spanish dominion in Italy, governed by a viceroy. The framework of the calendar in the middle of the Spanish period, around 1600, was provided by impressive succession of religious festivals, fixed and movable. Apart from the symbolic importance of passing through triumphal arch to the sound of the instruments of regal power, Charles V's stay brought about a series of innovations in music in Naples. There are the accounts of dancing and singing in the streets. Other sources provide evidence of festivities organized by the court, events which, by reason of their exceptional nature, aroused the curiosity and interest of the population, if not their active participation.
