Lucio Militano
The Two Sicilies in the Americas
Editoriale Il Giglio, 2026
translation from the original “Le Due Sicilie nelle Americhe“
Formato Kindle
Available on Amazon – € 6,00
Based on firsthand knowledge of maritime techniques and a passion for historical research, this short essay traces the relations between the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the countries across the ocean, which were intense both commercially and politically.
As early as the 1700s, first sailing ships and later steamships from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies plied the Atlantic Ocean, carrying cargoes of manufactured goods and foodstuffs to the Americas. The skill of Neapolitan captains and sailors was evident in the speed of their crossings and the ships’ impeccable outfitting.
Flourishing and ever-growing trade, diplomatic relations of great international significance initiated by a forward-thinking policy, and dynastic ties forged through marriages—never dictated by cynical reasons of state but by the union of families and souls.
Such were the ties between the two shores of the ocean when Naples was the capital of the Kingdom and the Bourbon kings sat upon the throne. And the arrival of the ships bearing the lily emblem in the ports of New York, Boston, Pernambuco, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro aroused such interest that it was reported in the press—sometimes to celebrate a record, sometimes to describe the majesty of the military escort accompanying the new Empress.
A few decades later, ships laden with cardboard suitcases and the tears of emigrants would begin to sail those same routes. But that is another story.
In keeping with the hallmark of the Le Sensiglie series, this volume is enriched with eight images.
The author, Lucio Militano, was born in Naples in 1949. A naval and mechanical engineer, he has held executive positions at major industrial companies. He is also a scholar of transportation systems and the author of several popular science books published by Editoriale Il Giglio.