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appiaantica
Events
Rome: The ruins of the Church of San Nicola on the Appian Way become an open-air stage
On Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15, 2025, the ruins of the deconsecrated Church of San Nicola, located within the vast Appian Way Archaeological Park, will once again be transformed into a striking and precious open-air stage thanks to the Roman cultural series “ATTRAVERSAMENTI – The Appian Way between Stone and Vision.” In its second weekend, the festival will host three captivating events for visual arts enthusiasts. Attendees will not only enjoy original, finely crafted performances that stretch into the evening, but will also have the chance to quench their intellectual curiosity through a unique talk with Japanese actor and choreographer Hal Yamanouchi and visual artist Valerio Giacone, on the theme “For the Reason That Will Not Cease to Dream.” In this intimate exchange—what we might today call a “talk”—Yamanouchi will retrace the milestones of his career, speak about his deep spiritual connection with Rome (where he arrived in the 1970s to complete his training as a mime and dancer), and engage with Giacone, whose own spiritual journey has led him to focus intently on contemporary social issues. Giacone will also present his experimental approach to materials, which he uses in both sculpture and painting. The talk is scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM, followed by the performance “Mithos – Memory of a Tale” featuring Camillo Marcello Corciaro and Rocio Ines Moreira. This piece, combining acting and dance, aims to celebrate the oral tradition through which epic tales have been passed down—those of the poet-singers and aedi who recounted the deeds of peoples and heroes. The music for the performance is composed by Davide Guglielmi. On Sunday, June 15 at 9:00 PM, the stage will host the dance-theatre piece “The Factory of Timeless Angels,” a co-production by Obliquo – MDA Produzioni Danza, with a script co-written by Gatti and Brancaccio and performed by Lucia Cinquegrana, Elisa Carta Carosi, Paola Saribas, and Mario Brancaccio, under the direction and choreography of Aurelio Gatti. Set in Baroque-era Naples—a time of turmoil and excess in all domains, shaped by a pervasive sense of relativism and fragility—the performance draws inspiration from the phenomenon of the castrati (castrated singers) to explore the theme of redemption through music and vision. Central to the story is the now-aged music master Nicola Antonio Porpora, one of the leading figures of the Neapolitan opera school, whose students included some of the most legendary singers in history—first among them, the king of the castrati, Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli. “The program,” emphasizes Simone Quilici, architect, Director of the Park, and project creator, “offers live performances and multidisciplinary artistic journeys designed in full harmony with the natural and historical context that hosts them—without altering the site’s appearance, instead encouraging the audience to be enveloped by the relationship between aesthetic experience and the deeper, layered meaning of the place.” To fully appreciate what remains of the ancient Castrum Caetani, upon which the church was later built, audiences will attend performances on a stage set up in the apse, seated within the ruins of the nave on removable chairs. Seating is arranged based on reservations, which can be made at +39 351 907 2781, or by purchasing the park entry ticket on the website www.museiitaliani.it. “We are thrilled to open the Park to experiences like this, which make it vibrant and accessible to all,” Quilici adds, explaining that admission to talks and performances is included in the daily park ticket at the standard price. “With ATTRAVERSAMENTI, we achieve the very integration of landscape, nature, and cultural heritage that defines the mission of the Appian Way Archaeological Park,” he concludes, also recalling the recent inscription of the Via Appia – Regina Viarum on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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Events
Attraversamenti 2025: In Rome, along the Appia Antica until july 6, eleven events merging performing arts and knowledge
The public inauguration takes place this evening at 7:00 PM, with the Director of the Appia Antica Archaeological Park, Simone Quilici, and Artistic Director Aurelio Gatti. Following the enthusiastic response from the public during its debut edition in 2024, “ATTRAVERSAMENTI – The Appian Way between Stone and Vision” returns to open the summer cultural calendar in Rome. This project explores the connection between landscape, art, archaeology, and humanity through performing arts. Promoted by the Appia Antica Archaeological Park in collaboration with Teatri di Pietra, the series will run from May 31 to July 6, featuring eleven events encompassing theatre, music, dance, theology, medical science, art, and economics. These will be held at the Church of San Nicola, once the Castrum Caetani, just steps from the famed Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella. This second edition aligns with the Jubilee Year and the recent inclusion of the Appian Way in the UNESCO World Heritage List, celebrating the “Regina Viarum”. The public inauguration is set for 7:00 PM on Saturday, May 31, with key figures Simone Quilici, Director of the Archaeological Park, and Aurelio Gatti, Artistic Director of the festival. Both have been instrumental in enhancing the site and curating the rich cultural program. Events are included in the standard park entry ticket, designed either as preludes or finales to site visits, with talks at 6:30 PM and performances at 9:00 PM. During the opening event, the stage—set in the apse of the ancient Castrum Caetani, now the Church of San Nicola—will welcome several speakers and artists from the festival lineup. They will share previews of the themes addressed in their talks, performances, and shows. Expected guests include: Valerio Giacone (visual arts) Paolo Trianni (philosophy and theology) Fabio Lorenzi (music) Actress Angiola Baggi, presenting a special preview of the play “Hecuba”, premiering nationally on July 6, directed by Silvio Giordani Lucia Cinquegrana, performing scenes from “The Angel Factory” accompanied by Marco Schiavoni’s music Camillo Ciorciaro, reciting the myths at the core of the narrative Professor Alessandra Porfidia will explain the genesis of an installation created by students from the Rome Academy of Fine Arts. Closing the evening is blind actress Luisa Stagni with her piece “To Listen to That Song Which Sleeps Within Us”. “ATTRAVERSAMENTI embodies the same integration of landscape, nature, and cultural heritage that lies at the core of the Appia Antica Archaeological Park,” explains Simone Quilici, architect and Park Director.“The program presents live performances and multidisciplinary artistic paths designed in harmony with their natural and historical surroundings, without altering them—encouraging the audience to be enveloped by the interplay between aesthetic experience and the deeper, layered meanings of these sites. We are thrilled to open the Park to such experiences that make it vibrant and accessible to all.” “We confirmed the title of the series,” the organizers continue, “not only in reference to the original function of the Regina Viarum as a means of physical connection but because the very act of crossing enhances our reality, becoming experience and knowledge. The program envisions the archaeological park not merely as a magnificent stage to perceive the connection between past and present, but also as a space to reconnect with nature. In the spirit of the 2025 Jubilee, it invites us to become pilgrims, to open ourselves to knowledge through new narratives in performing arts.” Special contributions have been curated by naturopath Maria Clara Amato, featuring: Father Guidalberto Bormolini Economist Gabriele Guzzi Actor and choreographer Hal Yamanouchi, reflecting on spirituality and the uniqueness of life with gratitude and humanity 📍 Location:Appia Antica Archaeological Park – Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella – Church of San NicolaVia Appia Antica 161, 00185 Rome 📞 Info & Schedule: +39 351 9072781 🎟️ Tickets available on: museiitaliani.it €15.00 for performances €8.00 for talks and performances
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