What Naples Looks Like Under Lockdown

On March 9, 2020, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte officially declared the entire Italian peninsula as a “red zone” –– an unprecedented clampdown aimed to defeat the coronavirus. Photographer Alessio Paduano takes us into the streets of his usually busy and sometimes chaotic home city of Naples to see what lockdown looks like.

The Port of Naples is usually a bustling place where large crowds of cheerful tourists from around the world line up to head to the islands of Ischia, Capri and Procida. Under the lockdown, medical officers check the temperature of the few commuters who come from the islands to work in the city (March 12, 2020).

Source Alessio Paduano

The popular church of Gesù Nuovo is located near Piazza del Gesù in the historic center of Naples. It’s a popular spot with tourists but also students, because there are universities close by. Now it is empty.

Source Alessio Paduano

Sanitizations take place every day in different areas of the city as an additional measure of contagion containment. Here a truck sprays in a hospital zone.

Source Alessio Paduano

The Toledo Metro Station is considered one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. It’s also typically very busy. In this photo, two masked people in red jackets (likely workers) ride the escalator alone.

Source Alessio Paduano