It was 1609, and Silvio Fiorillo, a forty-four-year-old actor from Capua, had already made a name for himself in many cities across northern and central Italy as Captain Matamoros, his signature role, much appreciated by the Gonzaga nobles. In addition to acting, he had also successfully dedicated himself to writing, authoring several works in his native Neapolitan language and in Tuscan.

A trip to Naples is not complete if you don't walk through San Gregorio Armeno to choose the shepherds, regardless (mentioning Totò, the famous Neapolitan actor) of the Christmas period, in a dimension – the Decumans one – which is like «a nativity scene within the nativity scene» in a reflection multiplied by the mirrors.