Three evenings, three books, three opportunities to immerse oneself in the written word and thought, suspended between sea and sky, in the magical atmosphere of Procida's harbor at sunset. The "Libri in Porto" festival, now in its second edition, returns to tell the story of the world and the human soul through stories spanning centuries, emotions and identities.

📖 F riday, July 18

A journey through church history

It opens with a book that is a lucid and exciting investigation of power and faith:
"Antipopes. A History of the Church" by Mario Prignano, editor-in-chief of TG1, published by Laterza.
Amid schisms, rivalries and controversial figures, the book guides us through the meanders of a divided and conflicted Church, revealing a past that still resonates in the present.

In discussion with the author:

• Msgr. Michele Autuoro, Auxiliary Bishop of Naples

• Prof. Giuseppe Perna, an expert in medieval history,
• researcher Maurizio Gentilini (CNR - Institute of Mediterranean European History),
• historian Raffaella Salvemini, also a CNR researcher.

An evening to reflect on the meaning of spiritual authority, between faith and power.

📖 Saturday, July 19

Relationships, narcissism, and cutting irony

The second evening changes register, but not intensity. The protagonist is "The Genius Asshole" by Raffaella Ferrè, journalist and writer, published by Colonnese.
With intelligence and irony, the author explores male narcissism in couple relationships, amid toxic dynamics, emotional manipulation and female awareness. A pungent, timely, necessary book.

Talking with her will be Cristina Marra, curator of the review, in a lively and unfiltered discussion. An evening to smile, recognize each other and, perhaps, rewrite our own stories.

Sunday, July 20

Procida and the mystery of the Palazzo d'Avalos

The review closes with a tribute to our island, to its most intense and fascinating history.
"Procida. The D'Avalos Palace," written by Gianlorenzo Di Gennaro Sclano and Prof. Pasquale Lubrano Lavadera, published by Clean Editions, is a tale in two voices that takes us within the walls of one of Procida's most symbolic places.

From aristocratic residence to prison to its yet-to-be-written future, the Palazzo d'Avalos mirrors Procidan identity, resilience and beauty.

In dialogue with the authors:

• curator Cristina Marra,
• columnist Sebastiano Cultrera.

An evening to rediscover the memory, landscape and beating heart of the island.

Antipopes. A history of the Church

By Mario Prignano - Published by Laterza

With historical rigor and narrative clarity, Mario Prignano takes us along a fascinating and little-explored path: that of the antipopes, figures who challenged papal authority, opening deep rifts in the Church. The book does not simply list names and dates, but restores all the complexity of an institution traversed by power struggles, legitimacy crises and human ambitions.
It is a reading that prompts us to reflect on how much the ecclesiastical past can still speak to us about the present, especially in an age when authority is often challenged and truth becomes multiple.
A historical essay that reads like a novel, with the solidity of deep research and the lightness of an expert pen.

The genius asshole

By Raffaella Ferrè - Published by Colonnese

With this provocative and irresistible title, Raffaella Ferrè takes us inside a topic that touches many, many people: toxic relationships, male narcissism, emotional manipulation.
But she does so with a brilliant, ironic and direct style that never indulges in victimhood, but rather invites awareness, freedom, and emotional self-defense. It is a book that makes you laugh, get angry, reflect, recognize yourself. A true emotional guide disguised as a pop novel, capable of holding lightness and depth together. A read that everyone and everyone should tackle at least once, to learn how to set limits, say no, and, above all, love ourselves.

Procida. The D'Avalos Palace

By Gianlorenzo Di Gennaro Sclano and Pasquale Lubrano Lavadera - Published by Clean Editions

This book is much more than a historical monograph: it is an act of love toward Procida and one of its most mysterious and symbolic places, the Palazzo d'Avalos. The authors take us on a journey that spans centuries, architectural transformations, and human destinies.
From noble residence to prison to a space suspended between memory and future, the Palazzo here becomes the protagonist of a narrative that weaves together history, politics, culture and identity.
The pages of this book read like a collective tale, belonging to anyone who loves the island and wants to understand its deepest soul. A must-read for those who believe that places have a voice, and that it should be heard.

How the idea for these three books came about.

The second edition of Libri in Porto was born from the desire to offer the public not only moments of reading, but opportunities for reflection, discussion and discovery, in an evocative setting such as that of the Marina di Procida's breakwater pier at sunset.

We chose three very different books, but united by an invisible thread: a deep look at human beings, their contradictions, their history, and their relationship with the places they inhabit.

The first book, "Antipopes" by Mario Prignano, impressed us with its ability to tell a little-known face of the Church: that of internal fractures, power disputes and the drifts of spiritual authority. A journey through history that also tells us about the present, in a time when truth and legitimacy are often questioned.

The second text, "The Genius Asshole" by Raffaella Ferrè, takes us instead into the heart of contemporary relational dynamics. With an ironic and edgy style, the writer analyzes male narcissism, revealing the wounds, illusions and self-consciousness that emerge in the relationships of everyday life. A timely, provocative, necessary reading.

Finally, "Procida. The D'Avalos Palace" by Gianlorenzo Di Gennaro Sclano and Pasquale Lubrano Lavadera, is a tribute to our island, to its most intense and perhaps most forgotten history. Telling the story of the Palazzo d'Avalos means telling the soul of Procida, through its transformations: from noble residence to prison, to its uncertain and fascinating future.

Three books, three voices, three perspectives.
One intent: to bring culture into dialogue with the sea, memory with the present, words with beauty.