Percolating lives: statistical mechanics in Naples

Abstract We reconstruct the intriguing case of the formation of the Naples group of Statistical Mechanics, which took more than two decades, from the first steps at the end of 1960 aimed at acquiring skills and knowledge abroad, until the formal establishment of the group at the beginning of the 1990 s. A number of important results were obtained seamlessly during this period by Antonio Coniglio and his large number of collaborators, but although favorable opportunities for the formation of the group emerged, starting from the beginning of the 1980 s, several factors (including a certain disinterest in supporting research in Italy) effectively delayed the formation of a group by about a decade. We here provide a fairly comprehensive picture of the relevance of the group of Neapolitan statistical physicists even before its formation, also reviewing the main contributions achieved by these people both during the process of formation of the group and in the first decade of its life.