What the founding deed actually is
The atto costitutivo is the deed that brought your company into being, signed in front of a notary. That notary keeps the original bound in an archive, so what you send abroad is a certified copy. Anyone asking how to legalize your Articles of Incorporation is really asking how to get that copy stamped.
Getting a clean copy from the notary
Ask for a copia conforme, the notary's own signed line saying the copy matches the deed in their archive. Insist on every annex: the share table, the schedules, the signature page. Offices abroad count pages, and a gap of one sheet sends the whole bundle back to you.
Court or Prefettura?
This is where files go wrong. A deed drawn by a notary is a notarial act, so the embassy legalization of the Articles of Incorporation in Naples runs through the Procura della Repubblica. Administrative paper — a printout, a municipal certificate — goes to the Prefettura instead. Same city, different counter, and the two do not pass work to each other.
The foreign signature on top
One more stamp usually follows. The consular legalization of the Articles of Incorporation in Italy is the destination's own officer signing under the Italian one, which is what a foreign registrar looks for. Book that slot early; corporate windows at busy missions fill weeks ahead, and a missed appointment eats the whole express saving.
What it costs and how long
You pay two bills, not one. To legalize the Articles of Incorporation in Naples you need a €16 marca da bollo fixed to the file. The consulate then charges its own fee for a corporate paper, and each mission sets that itself. Allow 10–15 business days end to end, or 3–5 on the express route.
Who asks for a legalized founding deed
Opening a branch, bidding for public work, or putting a subsidiary on a foreign register all begin with this deed. The embassy attestation of the Articles of Incorporation in Naples is what makes the copy usable at those counters. Whether the consular leg is wanted at all turns on the destination; ask the receiving authority to confirm it in writing before you pay a fee.