Why Napoli?
I've seen way too many outdated, overly-detailed and characterless logos within the sport. SSC Napoli's current logo falls into the latter category. The world of football logos are different from, let's say, tech. A club's existence is dependent on local success and support. Paying tribute and acknowledging its heritage is therefore considered the norm - as it should be. Napoli has failed to do that, leaving the logo without character and meaning. My goal with this project would therefore be to bridge the gap between Napoli and Naples.
Cavallo Napoletano
The Cavallo Napoletano, or "Neapolitan horse", is a horse breed originated in Naples. It's said to be important as it was primarily used as way of cavalry and transporting goods in the Campania region, as well as Spain, during the 16th century. It was deemed extinct in the 50s but made a sudden comeback. It was estimated that approximately 20 were alive as of 2005.
The horse has been featured on several emblems in relation to Naples and Napoli. Joachim Murat called attention to the proud, black horse when he, during his era in charge of the Regno 'e Napule (Kingdom of Naples/Sicily), presented it on the Kingdom's flag. Napoli's, going by the name of Associazione Calcio Napoli back then, first logo in 1926 had the Cavallo Napoletano, although it was replaced after only a year. Today, The Metropolitan City of Naples pictures the horse in their coat of arms. Its shape would also inspire my redesign. Safe to say that the Neapolitan horse has had a vast impact on Naples throughout history which lives on today.
Christianity
As I've touched on earlier, a successful football logo pays tribute to its heritage or culture and there's no arguing that christianity is a huge part of the region. A total of over 500 churches have been built over the years. Aediculas-type shrines are everywhere to be seen as they were built due to not only religion, but to also light up the dark alleys in the 18th century. The powerful Gulgias portray saints or angels pointing to the sky, such as Guglia dell'Immacolata and Guglia di San Gennaro, and are common within open squares.
Could introducing religion within a football emblem cause controversy? There is an argument to be made there, and something I took into consideration. It's not too noticeable in the final result. It acts like a hidden message, thus leaving it up for interpretation - leaving any controversy behind.
