Naples' East Periphery and Palazzetto Argento Stuck in Decades of Decay

The Palazzetto dello Sport Mario Argento, built for the 1963 Mediterranean Games in Naples, was a major indoor venue for basketball, concerts and ice shows. It was closed in June 1998 for seismic upgrades, but the renovation turned into a protracted bureaucratic process. Demolition began in 2005 but stopped after the two side stands were left standing, leaving a skeletal ruin that has remained untouched despite various proposals and project‑financing ideas.

At the same time, Naples' eastern districts – Ponticelli, Barra and San Giovanni a Teduccio – continue to grapple with long‑standing neglect, crime and social challenges. Local authorities and community groups are promoting regeneration measures, such as keeping schools open into the evening to provide safe spaces for youth and undertaking urban‑greening projects that revitalize several public squares. Both the abandoned arena and the peripheral neighborhoods illustrate the broader struggle to convert decades of decay into sustainable renewal.