It was enough to look at his eyes, bright as a child's, as he discovered the gigantic stage that had become his home for one evening. It was enough to see the tears as he managed to simply stammer, "I'm happy," "It's so beautiful," "It took me so long to get this far. " EroCaddeo had said it from the beginning: "I've already won," and never like last night did we understand that he truly believed it.

Sicilian Rob, along with Paola Iezzi, won X Factor and a contract with Warner Bros., but it was the 27-year-old from Sinnai, the runner-up, who took over the gigantic stage in Piazza del Plebiscito with the confidence of an artist who has been playing concert after concert in dozens of arenas for years. He did it under the watchful eye of his mother Eva Federico, his sister Morena, and the mysterious girlfriend to whom he dedicated all his love songs, who were there for him.

And then a delegation of Sinnai residents, who had rushed to Naples after a long journey with a stopover in Rome, armed with flags of the Four Moors and banners repeatedly captured by Sky cameras: "EroCaddeo, Sinnai is here." A small representation of the city that was Damiano's birthplace, who embraced his family during the most difficult moment, who followed this marathon last night in two live broadcasts, at the Teatro Civico and at the VAB Sinnai, where his mother Eva volunteers.

The celebrations in Naples, which hosted the X Factor final outdoors for the second time, began at first light. A sun that was at first pale, then spring-like, immediately made it clear: the feared rain would not happen. And so the city filled with thousands of people who flocked to one of Italy's most beautiful squares, transformed for the occasion into a gigantic stadium for an evening led by Giorgia, featuring a DJ set and two super guests: Laura Pausini, who announced her new tour, "Io Canto," which she'll take around the world for two years. And then Jason Derulo, the hitmaker with thousands of streams, who will return to Europe with several concerts.

The former Radiolina Contest winner's simplicity transformed into greatness with each round. First, "L'emozione non ha voce" by Adriano Celentano warmed the sixteen thousand people gathered in the embrace of the square. Then came the medley (Lucio Battisti's "...E penso a te," Tiziano Ferro's "Sere nere," Franco Battiato's "La cura") without a single flaw. And finally, the unreleased "Punto," which all of Naples sang in unison as one voice. A song that has garnered millions of streams and views, still sitting in Spotify's top 50 two weeks after its release. A full circle for Damiano, as the first images of him showing up to the auditions with his hair shaved and his cap on backward remind us. And yes, he conquered the X Factor Arena with Brunori Sas and Venerus , but above all, he passed the first round of the talent show with "Punto."

It's no coincidence that the judges' warmest compliments came here, starting with his mentor Achille Lauro: "Working with Caddeo was wonderful. We connected on a human level, and I'm happy for him, with his comebacks and victories." "Your strength is this great sensitivity, this delicacy that, while modern, is velvety," said Francesco Gabbani. "It's true that in life, numbers don't matter, yet everything adds up. Congratulations for what you do and for who you are." Jake La Furia can't resist teasing him one last time: "Despite Lauro's glow-up, Caddeo is deep down the same person who dresses badly, with tank tops and all that." Then, more seriously: "You have that singer-songwriter edge that perhaps we underestimated in this edition. The song is fresh, and outside of here, they proved you right." Paola Iezzi: "Take what's there because you deserve it." And that's exactly how it is.

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