Richter describes the metropolis of Naples as a place of cultural fusion from the very beginning, particularly from the perspective of foreign travelers for whom this center of European tourism became a threatening yet fascinating experience of a different Italy that contradicts the classical image. Conversely, Richter depicts the influence of the "foreigners" on this city, from Greek immigrants to Spanish courtiers and the salons of European diplomats, as well as the English engineers of the Vesuvius railway and the Swiss or German industrialists of the late 19th century, along with their associations and welfare systems, some of which have persisted to this day. The varied image of a European metropolis is not only derived from well-known sources but is often also freshly drawn from the dust of unknown places.