La Roccelletta di Borgia (Calabria) | Anakrousis, Canto Gregoriano, Erik Satie
La Roccelletta di Borgia (Calabria)
The place where 'intersects' the Ages
South Italy
Music: - Anakrousis (Ancient Greece's music) restored, on the basis of Orestes Stasimos, by Gregorio Paniagua and performed by Atrium Musicae de Madrid
- Gregorian Chant
- Erik Satie, Gymnopedie I
pianoforte: Aldo Ciccolini
In the commune of Borgia in the province of Catanzaro (Calabria), in a zone called 'Roccelletta', in a large archaeological park, it's possible to admire the remains of the Theater and the Amphitheater of the roman city Scolacium and the remains of the imposing norman Basilica of S. Maria della Roccella. The city of Scolacium, very ancient, was also called Scylletium, Scylacium, Scolatium, Scyllaceum, Scalacium or Scylaeium (from greek: Σκυλλήτιον according to Stephen of Byzantium and Strabo, or Σκυλάκιον according to Claudius Ptolemy) and afterwards Minervium and Colonia Minerva, when it became a roman coastal city of Bruzio, founded in 123-122 B.C. in the same site where formerly stood the greek city of Skylletion, to the north of the greek city of Caulonia. Located on the Ionian coast in the Gulf of Squillace, this greek city is mentioned from Strabo and have a myth of foundation linked to the events of the Trojan war: the legend says that was founded by Ulysses, wrecked in that land or by the athenian Menesteo, during their return from Troy. Historically, Skylletion it been founded in all probability by the city of Kroton, which was competing with Locri Epizefiri for the control, on the isthmus of Catanzaro, of shipping business, but its also possible that it was an Athenian and Calcidian settlement afterwards passed under the domain of Kroton. The Greek city seems to have passed under the control of italic people of Brettii in the IV th century B.C. and has experienced a period of decline from the third century B.C. until the founding of the roman city Scolacium by Caio Gracco. Scolacium had a prosperous life in the following centuries and experienced a phase of big economic and architectural development. A new city was founded also during the reign of emperor Nerva in 96-98 AD, with the name of Colonia Augusta Minerva Nervia Scolacium. During the Byzantine Age Scolacium was the native land of Flavio Magno Aurelio Cassiodoro (490-583 AD), one of the great figures of the VI th century AD, minister of Theodoric, of Amalasunta and Vitige and author of many writings, which in later years of his life retired in Scolacium for building the famous monasteries Castellense and Vivariense: one for the practical teaching of the agriculture, the second a study center with a big library with ancient codex. The decline of the city began with the war greek-Gothic of the VI th century AD and finish with the abandonment of the city in the VIII th century AD (the seat of the bishop, old of the fourth century BC, moved to Squillace), by the inhabitants which, repeating a common practice in those days on the italiac territory, moved their settlements on surrounding hills, and founded other settlements such as Catanzaro . The new settlements was, however, conquered by the Saracens in 902 AD, who settled a stronghold that finally was conquered by the Normans. The Normans in the XI th century built, perhaps on an earlier edifice of Basilian monks, the great church of St. Maria della Roccella of which today its possible to see the impressive ruins. The age of the foundation remains mysterious because the historians do it oscillate between the VI th and the XI century AD. The church had a single large nave (73 x 25 metres), that in times past was covered with wooden trusses and, with the church of Gerace, was the largest of Calabria. Today is the most imposing monument of the archaeological park of Roccelletta. In this park, every year, the province of Catanzaro organizes the important exhibition of contemporary art 'Intersezioni': on this occasion many international artists, as Marc Quinn, Dennis Oppenheim, Anthony Cragg, Jan Fabre, Mimmo Paladino, Stephan Balkenhol and Wim Delvoye, place their works in the open air or inside the little archeological museum, where it's possible to see many objects of the roman city, especially various ancient statues from the ancient Theater's area. The archeological park is situated in an area of over 30 hectares, occupied by a magnificent olive grove, which was estate of Baron Gregorio Mazza and now is property of the Italian State.
Scolacium seconda parte (2/4)
Documentario della Mondial Video realizzato su idea e progetto del giornalista Francesco Pungitore, per la regia di Alberto Ragozzino. In primo piano le meraviglie del museo e del parco archeologico della Roccelletta di Borgia, in Calabria. Riflettori puntati, in particolare, sui tesori dell'antica Minervia Scolacium, la florida colonia romana che ha conservato preziose testimonianze di enorme rilievo archeologico. I più recenti scavi hanno fatto emergere manufatti di notevole pregio artistico e storico, tra i quali spicca una splendida statua della dea Fortuna. Ma sono davvero numerose le novità che offre il riallestimento museale, collocando l'area della Roccelletta in una posizione di eccellenza nel panorama culturale del Belpaese.
Seconda parte.
Il Parco Archeologico di Cuma
Uno dei siti archeologici più affascinanti che si possano mai visitare nei pressi di Napoli (Comune di Bacoli) , il parco archeologico di Cuma, racchiude innumerevoli luoghi di interesse culturale come : Il tempio di Apollo, l' Antro della Sibilla, la via Sacra, il Tempio di Giove.
Per altri consigli di viaggio :