Aversa has restored to public view the bust dedicated to Filippo Saporito, the Aversan psychiatrist and criminologist, 66 years after its inauguration.

The monument, first unveiled on 5 June 1960 in the presence of Giovanni Leone, then president of the Chamber of Deputies and later president of the Italian Republic, had disappeared from the city's communal memory for decades. Its return has been presented by the city as an act of historical memory and civic identity, with administrators, students and families involved.

From 1960 to the 1980s removal

The bust was originally placed in Aversa's villa comunale. In the 1980s, during reorganisation works, it was removed and entrusted for restoration to the craftsman Francesco Paolo Truosolo.

That temporary custody became a long absence. After the restoration, the bust remained for years with the Truosolo family because of a dispute over payment. The heirs finally returned it to the Comune di Aversa in 2022.

The sources consulted do not identify the sculptor of the bust with certainty, nor do they give exact dates for the removal and restoration.

The 2026 reinstallation

A reinstallation ceremony was scheduled for 23 September 2026 in Piazza Don Diana, according to local reports.

La Rampa reports the relocation area as Piazza Principe Amedeo and Viale Giovanni Giolitti. The available sources do not agree on the final location: Il Mattino and Goldwebtv cite Piazza Don Diana, while La Rampa cites Piazza Principe Amedeo and Viale Giovanni Giolitti. That discrepancy remains unresolved in the reporting consulted.

According to La Rampa, the Centro di Riabilitazione "Cinzia Santulli" supported the costs of the work, while the monument remains the property of the Comune di Aversa. No independent institutional confirmation of the funding arrangement was available in the sources consulted.

Why Saporito matters to Aversa

Saporito is remembered as an Aversan psychiatrist and criminologist. The decision to reinstall his bust has been framed in local coverage as a way to reconnect the city with its cultural and scientific history and to pass that memory to younger generations.

The ceremony's emphasis on schools and families reflects that intent: the return is not only the repositioning of a sculpture, but an occasion for public remembrance.

Timeline: a 66-year absence

  • 5 June 1960: the bust of Filippo Saporito is inaugurated in Aversa in the presence of Giovanni Leone.
  • 1980s: the work is removed from the villa comunale during works and given to Francesco Paolo Truosolo for restoration.
  • Following years: the restored bust stays with the Truosolo family amid a dispute over compensation.
  • 2022: the Truosolo heirs hand the bust back to the Comune di Aversa.
  • 23 September 2026: public reinstallation ceremony announced.

What to know if you go

The reinstallation was announced as a public civic ceremony with the participation of local officials, students and families. Visitors looking for the monument should check local Comune notices on the day, as reporting differs on whether the indicated site is Piazza Don Diana or the Piazza Principe Amedeo-Viale Giovanni Giolitti area.