There are no crocodiles in Naples, but a very rare specimen has lived in the city and is the protagonist of story, or rather a legend, set in the Maschio Angioino (the Angevin Keep), the emblematic medieval and Renaissance castle of Naples. As well as being used as storage space for cereals, the dungeons of the keep were a prison for the most dangerous criminals.
Despite the strong walls and monitored exit, the prisoners still managed to escape their cells. After months of investigations, it came up that the cause was a crocodile brought to Naples on a ship from Africa: the animal stuck its snout in the openings of the stone walls, and devoured the prisoners, his favorite meal! By using a horse’s leg as bait, the animal was caught and once made visible, though stuffed, over the door of the building.
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