Herculaneum exhibit reveals 'king's dig'

(ANSA) - Naples, October 5 - Herculaneum, the archaeological site and ancient city that is one of 10 finalists for the culture minstry's Capital of Culture prize for 2016, will star in a 30-day exhibition opening Wednesday at the Italian Institute for Philosophic Studies.
    The show, titled Herculaneum, A Story in Time: Philosophers' Testimonials and Artists' Glances, is a collaboration between the CIVES Foundation/Herculaneum Virtual Museum of Archaeology (MAV), the Naples national library and the Naples University library. Divided into three sections - Philosophers' Voices, The Rediscovery of Herculaneum, and The Villa of the Papyri - the exhibition includes a rich collection of prints, and documents.
    MAV curated the exhibition's multimedia content - including a reconstruction of a private residence known as the Villa of the Papyri - using 3D technology and virtual books.
    The exhibition is part of a larger project to promote Vesuvian archaeology called MAV on Tour: Itinerant Museums of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which the CIVES Foundation began in 2010.
    Over the years, MAV on Tour has traveled to cities such as Barcelona, London, Madrid, Valparaiso, and Warsaw.
    "Collaborating with prestigious institutions is, for us, a source of great satisfaction, and has brought us an extraordinary occasion for debate and work," said Ciro Cacciola, CIVES director and curator of MAV on Tour.
    "This exhibition documents the key stages of the excavations 'of the king and for the king'," Cacciola said, referring to King Charles III of Spain, whose patronage of excavations led to the rediscovery of Herculaneum in 1738.
    The exhibition will also host Italian conductor and pianist Michele Campanella in concert on October 9, and Washington, DC-based chamber ensemble QuinTango in concert on October 23.
    On October 28, the exhibition will host a roundtable discussion on Market and Artistic Heritage with Salerno-based lawyer and professor Massimiliano Marotta, former Italian Culture Minister Massimo Bray, magistrate Paolo Maddalena, Justice Ministry Chief of Staff Giovanni Melillo, and art historian Tomaso Montanari.