Food and theatre

If you're in the Bay of Naples in September and looking for some evening entertainment on the weekends, I can fully recommend the Idraincoming "Food and Theatre" evenings.
Hosted in a beautiful Bourbon hunting lodge at Portici - the Villa San Gennariello (also my favourite bed and breakfast!), the evenings are based on a theme and between courses you are entertained with local music.
The September editions are based on "Ferdinando and Carolina": a must for those who want a Bourbon experience!

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Riprende con il mese di Settembre la rassegna Food and Theatre, viaggio interculturale tra l’arte teatrale e l’esperienza del gusto, ospiti in una Villa Borbonica. Per questo mese vi proponiamo una nuova ed esaltante esperienza, nelle fresche sere di Settembre, tra i cortili, i giardini e i saloni di Villa San Gennariello, sarete gli invitati di una festa alla corte dei Borbone, dove si presenterà a voi la coppia più chiacchierata del Regno di Napoli, Ferdinando e Carolina.
Con “ Ferdinando e Carolina” cena spettacolo per attore cantante solo e duo da camera, assisterete a un opera buffa, itinerante, vezzosa e irriverente, interpretata dal poliedrico attore cantante Salvatore Esposito e musicata e riadattata dal Maestro Giovanni D’Angelo. Ferdinando narrerà il suo essere “donnaiuolo” e Carolina apparirà con tutta la sua irriverenza e trasgressione, mentre servi di corte e dame vezzose narreranno le vicende di corte , interagendo ironicamente con lo spettatore.
La serata verrà accompagnata con una cena a buffet, basata sulla tradizione culinaria partenopea e ispirata alla cucina del 700.
Le date saranno il 5, 12 e 19 Settembre, inizio della serata alle ore 21:00 presso Villa San Gennariello, Via Madonnelle, 5 Portici (a 200mt dall’ uscita del casello autostradale di Ercolano sulla A3). All’interno della Villa troverete il parcheggio gratuito. La quota associativa di partecipazione è di € 30,00. Obbligatoria la prenotazione.

Infos e contatti
Giovanna (+39) 0815742321 / (+39)3394124137 info[at]idraincoming.com
Francesco (+39) 0817761220
www.idraincoming.com
www.villasangennariello.com
www.vesuviofamilyhouse.com

Tourism: The dramatic coastline the Italians kept for themselves

'While the Brits and the Americans flock to the Amalfi coast, Italians drive straight past and head instead for the mountains and beaches of the unspoit Cilento region. Jane Dunford explores its historic villages, secluded coves and beautifully preserved Greek temples.' (Click here for the full article at Guardian.co.uk.)

Slightly off-topic for this blog, I know, but this is an interesting article about a wonderful part of Italy. My family and I spent a week in the Cilento region in June. It is incredibly beautiful. Anyone fancy starting up a project at Velia?

Book: Secrets of Pompeii

Just out - looks like a popular book.

Emidio de Albentiis, Secrets of Pompeii. Everyday Life in Ancient Rome. J. Paul Getty Museum, 2009. ISBN 978-0-89236-941-6 (hardcover) $44.95

The remains of the ancient city of Pompeii, frozen in time following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, have provided invaluable evidence of daily life, not only in Rome's provinces, but in its larger urban centers as well.
This book provides a fascinating look at how ancient Romans interacted in their public squares and marketplaces, how they worshipped, decorated their homes, and spent their leisure time—at the theater, in the gymnasium, and in the baths and brothels. Illustrated with photographs of architectural remains and exquisite details from a range of ancient artworks, including wall paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and carved reliefs, the book offers a glimpse into a lost world.

Book: Resurrecting Pompeii

Resurrecting Pompeii - Estelle Lazer
Routledge

Resurrecting Pompeii provides an in-depth study of a unique site from antiquity with information about a population who all died from the same known cause within a short period of time.

Pompeii has been continuously excavated and studied since 1748. Early scholars working in Pompeii and other sites associated with the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius were seduced by the wealth of artefacts and wall paintings yielded by the site. This meant that the less visually attractive evidence, such as human skeletal remains, were largely ignored.

Recognizing the important contribution of the human skeletal evidence to the archaeology of Pompeii, Resurrecting Pompeii remedies that misdemeanour, and provides students of archaeology and history with an essential resource in the study of this fascinating historical event.

Table of Contents
Part 1: The Last Days of Pompeii
1. Skeletons as artefacts
2. An Egyptian interlude
3. An anthropological resource
4. Context of a mass disaster
Part 2: The Victims
5. The nature of the evidence
6. Attribution of sex
7. Determination of age at death
8. General health and lifestyle indicators
9. The population
10. The casts
11. Making sense
Appendices
Bibliography
Index

Congratulations Estelle on finally getting the book out!

24th August AD 79

Well, today is supposed to be the anniversary of the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. It might be, it might not be. The jury is still out, and has been for around 150 years. And, honestly, does the exact date matter? What does it change? But if you feel like celebrating the anniversary today, check out today's Rogue Classicism for a clip of the 1960s version of the Last Days of Pompeii. Cheesy, but fun.

More important to my mind is the news that we will have a new Superintendent at Pompeii and must bid Prof. Guzzo a sad farewell. Today marks the start of another new era at Pompeii.

New Superintendent of Pompeii and Naples nominated

From the beginning of September the archaeological superintendency of Pompeii will have a new superintendent as prof. Guzzo retires.
The new superintendent will be Mariarosaria Salvatore, previously in charge of Umbria's archaeological heritage.

More from La Repubblica here.