FINAL HEAT FOR INTERNATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY PRIZE

The five finalists for the 2022 International Archaeological Discovery Award “Khaled al-Asaad” are lining up for the final nomination of the most important archaeological discovery of 2021, to be held at Paestum (Campania, Italy) between the 27th - 30th October 2022.

The contestants are:

Egypt: the discovery of the city of Amenhotep III at Luxor

Italy: the Room of the Slaves discovered at Civita Giuliana, Paestum

Pakistan: the most ancient urban buddhist temple in Barikot in the Valley of Swat

UK: a Roman mosaic featuring scenes from “the Iliad” in Rutland county

Turkey: an 11,000 year old rock sanctuary at Karahantepe in Anatonia

The prize, dedicated to the archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad, custodian of the ancient site of Palmyra, who was assassinated by Islamic fundamentalists in 2015 is now in its 8th edition.

Info: www.borsaturismoarcheologico.it/premio-khaled-al-asaad-2022

Posted on 26 Jul 2022 by Editor

MAROSTICA LIVING CHESS GAME PLAYS AGAIN

One of the most spectacular of Italy's many historical re-enactment events – the Living Chess Match of Marostica (Veneto) - returns on the 7th - 11th September 2022.

The game, which takes place in the piazza of the Castello du Basso, involves hundreds of sumptuously costumed participants and recalls a supposedly historic event, dating to Mediaeval times, when Lionara, the daughter of the lord of Marostica, was wooed by two suitors – Rinaldo d'Angarano and Vieri da Vallonara – and it was decided to settle the issue with a chess match in which Lionara would be the prize.

The Marostica Chess Match involves living pawns and the moves are based on those used by celebrated chess champions.

The event normally takes place every two years, but has been suspended due to the pandemic since 2018. Seats are thus filling up fast. Matches start on Friday 7th at 21.00 and repeated on Saturday 10th at the same hour and with two performances on Sunday 11th at 17.00 and 21.00.

M. STENHOUSE

Info: Tel. +39.0424.72127 www.marosticascacchi.it

Posted on 22 Jul 2022 by Editor

TRAVEL+LEISURE VOTES ISCHIA TOPS

Readers of the leading USA travel magazine “Travel+Leisure”, published in New York, have voted the Island of Ischia (Campania) top of the list of the world's desirable islands, including iconic tourist destinations such as the Maldives, Bali and Ibiza.

Reasons given for the choice included the natural water spas, the hospitality, the cordiality of the people and an excellent public transport system.

Ischia also had a boost of extra publicity by the best-selling book “My Brilliant Friend” by Elena Ferrante, in which the heroine spends part of a summer holiday on the island.

Ischia, together with nearby Capri, also scooped 1st and 2nd places in the magazine's 2016 poll.

Info: www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best/best-islands

Posted on 17 Jul 2022 by Editor

RINASCITA OF VALMONTONE

Valmontone, a town in Lazio 50 km from Rome, is best known nowadays for its nearby retail park and Rainbow MagicLand – a Disneyland-style entertainment fairground. A typical old-style medieval centre, it was badly bombed during the last war, losing many of its historic buildings and treasures. Hasty post-war building did the rest, converting much of the placid and picturesque old city into a typical conglomerate of modern, featureless streets and blocks of flats.

The only buildings of note that were spared were the princely 17th century Palazzo Doria Pamphilj and the adjacent Collegiata of the Assumption, which crowned a hill on the highest part of the town. However, the palace, one of the residences of the powerful Pamphilj family, suffered another fate. It was occupied by families of townspeople who had lost their homes due to the bombardment and who remained there until they could be rehoused in the 1970s.

Since then and until last year, the Palace has been closed, except for a section occupied by local government offices. However, thanks to a generous grant from the Italian government through the Ministry of Culture, a restoration project is now well underway. For the first time the splendid series of 17th century frescoed rooms are now open to the public, as well as the museum section containing the mass of archaeological material recovered when the nearby railway line was being constructed.

The palace reception rooms were decorated by the best artists of the day in an allegorical sequence representing the Elements: the Room of Fire, the Room of Air, the Room of Water and the Room of Earth, all leading into the stunning Prince's Room, painted by French artist Gaspard Dughet, also known as Gaspard Poussin, after his brother-in-law, the celebrated baroque painter Nicolas Poussin.

Info: Tel. +39.06.959938231 www.comune.valmontone.rm.it

 

 

RINASCITA OF VALMONTONE

 

Valmontone, a town in Lazio 50 km from Rome, is best known nowadays for its nearby retail park and Rainbow MagicLand – a Disneyland-style entertainment fairground. A typical old-style medieval centre, it was badly bombed during the last war, losing many of its historic buildings and treasures. Hasty post-war building did the rest, converting much of the placid and picturesque old city into a typical conglomerate of modern, featureless streets and blocks of flats.

The only buildings of note that were spared were the princely 17th century Palazzo Doria Pamphilj and the adjacent Collegiata of the Assumption, which crowned a hill on the highest part of the town. However, the palace, one of the residences of the powerful Pamphilj family, suffered another fate. It was occupied by families of townspeople who had lost their homes due to the bombardment and who remained there until they could be rehoused in the 1970s.

Since then and until last year, the Palace has been closed, except for a section occupied by local government offices. However, thanks to a generous grant from the Italian government through the Ministry of Culture, a restoration project is now well underway. For the first time the splendid series of 17th century frescoed rooms are now open to the public, as well as the museum section containing the mass of archaeological material recovered when the nearby railway line was being constructed.

The palace reception rooms were decorated by the best artists of the day in an allegorical sequence representing the Elements: the Room of Fire, the Room of Air, the Room of Water and the Room of Earth, all leading into the stunning Prince's Room, painted by French artist Gaspard Dughet, also known as Gaspard Poussin, after his brother-in-law, the celebrated baroque painter Nicolas Poussin.

 

Info: Tel. +39.06.959938231 www.comune.valmontone.rm.it

 

 

Posted on 13 Jul 2022 by Editor

UMBRIA'S NATIONAL GALLERY NEW LOOK

The National Gallery of Umbria has reopened its doors after a complete reorganization of its rooms and contents. The entire project lasted a year and involved an investment of 5 million euros.

The gallery, which is situated inside the historic Town Hall of Perugia, has the biggest collection of the Umbrian School of Art, which had its maximum period of splendour in the 15th century, producing masters like Perugino (two rooms are dedicated to this iconic artist whose fifth centenary will be celebrated next year with a major exhibition), Piero della Francesca, Pinturicchio, Luca Signorelli, Beato Angelico, Gentile da Fabriano, Duccio di Boninsegna and others of similar standing.

Links to the present age are provided by the section dedicated to modern masters, like Alberto Burri, Pietro Donazio and Gerardo Dottori.

An arrangement with the UMBRIA JAZZ FESTIVAL (9-17 July 2022) to hold concerts in the Museum's Sala Podiani is proving popular. The programme aims at high quality niche music by Festival performers. During the Festival two concerts will be held every day, plus two evening concerts on the 16th and 17th . Those who attend can visit the Gallery either before or after the event at a discounted price.

Gallery Curator Marco Pierini also aims to attract young people (notoriously absent from museums) through a campaign on social media channels.

Info: Tel. +39.075.5721009 https://gallerianazionaledellumbria.it

Posted on 09 Jul 2022 by Editor

IN THE UNICORN'S SHADOW

L'Ombra dell'Unicorno (the Shadow of the Unicorn) is the eye-catching title of an unusual exhibition at the Museum of the Sciences (MUSE), Trento (Trentino-Alto Adige), running until the 9 Oct 2022.

Until last year, Toby, a 2-ton white rhinoceros, was the favourite attraction of the Zoological Garden of Bussolengo (Parco Natura Viva), near Turin, where he had lived for a record 47 years and where he peacefully passed away at the venerable age of 54. Among those who sent messages of regret was the Veneto Regional Governor Luca Zaia, who said “Grandpa Toby “ would be sadly missed.

Toby will live on in taxidermist form in the MUSE, where his gigantic carcass will be at the disposal of scientists and naturalists for study purposes. The present exhibition is dedicated to the plight of the different rhino species today, many of which are at risk of extinction. The creatures are still hunted ruthlessly for their horns, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. In fact, during the last ten years almost 10,000 rhinos have been slaughtered simply to obtain the horns.

The exhibition also traces the origin of the unicorn myth, beginning with the report by a Greek explorer in 400 BC of an animal with a single horn that he had seen in India. The creature subsequently became the legendary horned horse and a Christian symbol of purity.

Info: Tel. +39.0461270311 www.muse.it info@muse.it

Posted on 06 Jul 2022 by Editor

THE PARADISE OF CASERTA

Fragments of Paradise”, a mega themed exhibition opening in the UNESCO listed Royal Palace of Caserta, near Naples, on the 1st July 2022, includes the “Green Museum” section encompassing the vast royal park that extends for 123 hectares of woodland, aqueducts and monumental fountains.

The concept of preserving historic gardens as national treasures, distinct from the magnificent palaces and manor houses they are normally connected to, is relatively new, affirm exhibition organizers.

In this exhibition, the Royal Park of Caserta assumes equal status to the celebrated palace, which rivals and in many aspects surpasses Versailles, as was the intention of Carlo Borbone, King of Naples, and his wife Maria Amalia, who commissioned architect Luigi Vanvitelli to build the aqueduct Carolino to feed the magnificent sequence of pools and fountains. Later, Maria Carolina, wife of Ferdinand IV and sister of Marie Antoinette, ordered the English Garden area, laid out with new botanical discoveries and ancient Roman sculptures from the Pompeii excavations, creating a veritable paradise.

Another section of the exhibition is set out in the Queen's Apartments overlooking the park with some 200 works of art, paintings, sculptures and rare books on botany and herbs recounting the history and development of gardens throughout the centuries.

The exhibition runs until the 16th October 2022.

M. STENHOUSE

Info: Tel. +39.0823.1491213 https://reggiadicaserta.cultura.gov.it

 

Posted on 02 Jul 2022 by Editor

FAIRYTALES COME TRUE

Italy's Ministry of Culture has embarked on an ambitious scheme to inject new life into some of the country's many Borghi (historic old towns) suffering from depopulation and neglect. 21 pilot projects, with funding of 20 million euro each, have been chosen for this far-reaching experiment, which, along with recent social changes such as increases in home-working due to Covid, is expected to revitalize a number of the 300 borghi officially recognized out of an estimated total of 6,000.

Meanwhile, however, a few borghi have gone ahead and are re-inventing themselves. An impressive case is Sant'Angelo di Roccalvecce, a charming hamlet of some 130 souls near the town of Viterbo (Lazio) which launched its own project to transform it into “the Village of Fairytales”. A group of gifted street artists have decorated the walls of streets and houses with gigantic scenes of the world's most popular children's stories.

The project began with a mural of “Alice in Wonderland” in which the artist Tina Loiodice marked the date of the start of the project (November 2017) by setting the White Rabbit's watch at 11/17. Since then, other artists have added their contributions to create a total 21 scenes that enliven the winding old alleys and are attracting an increasing number of visitors.

Info: Tel. +39. 331.8184771 www.comune.viterbo.it

facebook: sant'angelo di roccalvecce

Posted on 28 Jun 2022 by Editor

 

SPOLETO IN VIRTUAL REALITY

The 65th edition of the celebrated Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto (Umbria), running between the 24th June - 10th July 2022, features the show-stopping virtual reality dance event “Le Bal de Paris”, by Spanish director/choreographer Blancs Li.

The Festival, created by the late Gian Carlo Menotti in the small medieval town of Spoleto, is known for its highly original programmes of international performances and is a “must” for culture lovers of unconventional and avant-guard music and theatre.

This year's rich programme, directed by Monique Veaute, also features the European debut of Philip Glass' “The Passion of Ramakrisna” with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Pina Bausch's new version of “The Rites of Spring”, Thomas Ostermeier's stage adaptation of “History of Violence” and orchestral concerts conducted by Antonio Pappano and conductor-singer Barbara Hannigan.

Info: Tel. +39.0743.776444 info@festivaldispoleto.com

Posted on 24 Jun 2022 by Editor

MUSEUM OF RECOVERED TREASURES

The new Museo Dell'Arte Salvata (Museum of Recovered Art) opened this month in a disused hall of the Baths of Diocletian archaeological complex near Rome's Termini Station. The Museum is a tribute to Italy's unique police corps dedicated to tracking down and recovering the thousands of antiquities and works of art smuggled out of Italy and sold illegally abroad. Known as Caschi Blu (due to their blue helmets), the Commando Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale (Carabiniere for the Protection of Cultural Heritage), the squads of experts work not only in home territory, but also in war zones abroad where ancient monuments and treasures are threatened.

The policy of the Italian Ministry of Culture is to return items, whenever possible, to minor museums in the territory where they were discovered. However, this is not always possible, explained Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, since tomb robbers tend to cancel all traces of their illegal activities. The museum display will be rotated every four months in order to exhibit different items in the vast collection of recovered treasures.

M. STENHOUSE

Info: Tel. +39.06.684861 www.museonazionaleromano.beniculturali.it

Posted on 20 Jun 2022 by Editor

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