The Nights of Archaeology

Le Notti Dell’ Archeologia (The Nights of Archaeology)

The Nights of Archaeology, will unroll for the first time over the span of one month from June 30th until July 29th, with 300 other initiatives in Tuscany: opening extraordinary nights of museums and parks, archaeolgical trekking, guided tours and visits, expositions, themed dinners, confrences, educational activities, and an international inspection of archaeological cinema. It really will be a true “Archaeological Party” carried out by the Tuscan Region with the Association of Archaeological Museums in Tuscany (AMAT) and the collaboration of the Superintendence for Archaeological Assets (Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici)..

The theme of the 2007 edition of this festival is “The Antique Streets of Etruria”, for discovering the streets of global communication and antique maritime. A red thread will unroll on the territory of the research of antique Etruscan practicability through expositions, confrences, museum trips, and also trekking through the antique paths and layouts that unify the Etrustic centers and the population confined within.

The money earned from the archaeological trekking will be dedicated in particular to the antique streets.

Cortona suggests several journeys, introduced for the first time in a tour that will be presented at the Palazzo Casali (Casali Palace) the night of July 3rd at 10:00PM. Among the available tours are: Cortona al Castello di Montecchio Vesponi (Castle of Montecchio Vesponi), the discovery of the antique water mills (July 22nd leaving at 9:30), and Ruffignano a Poggioni along the street that connects the Cortona hillside and the Valle di Chio (July 28th leaving at 9:30).

Campiglia Marittima will organize a “Walk in History”. It will be a journey trekking along the Via delle Fonti to the Etruistic mines of the Archaeologic Mining Park of San Silvestro (July 14th leaving at 10:00).

In Piombino, the Archaeological Park of Baratti and Populonia proposes a journey to the setting of the Etrustic Necropolis to the Acropolis, along the layout plan of the antique street of the Romanella (July 6th leaving at 6:30PM).

In Carmignano will be The Etrustic Walk, a trek from the Tumulus of Montefortini to the Necropolis of Prato Rosello (July 1st leaving at 8:00) and there will also be a nocturnal walk to the archaeological Pietramarina (July 6th, leaving at 6:30 PM).

Within the guided tours, Poggibonsi suggests a nocturnal visit, by torchlight, to the diggings of Imperial Poggio (July 7-8, and 21-22 at 9:30 PM); Cecina has 2 itineraries: that of Romano, a journey in stages by bicycle, horse, and cart from the towers of Vada, to the quarters of San Gaetano, to the villa of San Vincenzino, and will conclude at the Rosignano Archaeological Museum with a tasting of old fashioned recipes (July 28th leaving at 3 PM); second is Etrusco, a trip from the Guerrazzi Museum to the archaeic installation of Casalvechhio ending at the Necropolis of Belora (July 21st leaving at 10:00).

This year, the archaeologic museums of Grosseto and Scansano suggest the exhibition Le vie del sacro (The Holy Streets). The sanctuaries in the Etruistic and Roman Maremma (July 7th – September 30th) will present 100 other votives, mainly terrecotte but also bronzetti, that represent parts of the body, heads of sacrificed, domestic animals, and children. Also here, you can relive again a spot which is said to be a rural and urban sanctuary from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries A.D., discovered during the digs condcuted in the last few decades in Maremma.

At the Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) of Vetulonia , you can see the exhibition 'Vetulonia e le altre' (Vetulonia and the Others) of Isidoro Falchi of Vetuloni. At the Stages of the Etruistic Commerce exhibit (July 8th – November 4th 2007), you can discover evidence of the ancient complex network of exchanges that took place in Vetulonia that were created within the centers of Etruria during the archaeic age.

At the Baths of Massaciuccoli in Massarosa, a fantastic mosaic of animals will be available to view after a long period under the Factory of Pietre Dure of Florence, dating back to the second half of the 1st centruy A.D. and is also part of a Roman building discovered in 1932. Also, July 28th is the inauguration day of the new pavilion (7:00 PM), a very modern structure of glass and wood that will cover the enitre archaeological area.

Within the more curious and interesting initiatives of Le Notti dell’Archeologica 2007, in Montalcino will be the journey of L’Etruria 5 milioni di anni fa: il fossile di balena (Etruria 5 Million Years Ago: The Whale Fossil). It will be a visit to the biggest and oldest whale fossils ever discovered in Italy and the river basin of the Mediterraneon (July 5th at 5 PM).

In Piombino, will be the event La Cittadella del libro archeologico(The Citadel of The Archaeologic Book – July 6-15 from 5PM – 9:30PM) where there will be a exhibit where you can find (at discounted prices) rare books unavailable on the market. Also, in Gavorrano, il Laboratorio di Educazione Ambientale (Laboratori of Acclimated Education) will organze a language and writing corse for adults and youth by an expert (July 7th from 9-9:30 PM).

The numerous Didactic Initiatives, presented to youth and adults but overall meant for children ages 7 –10 years old to demonstrate to the young the understanding of daily life and the customs of ancient Tuscany.

And finally, for this year an International Review of Archaeological Cinema will be held thanks in part by the “International Archaeological Cinema Review” and the magazine “Archeologia Viva”.

For information, please call: 055 – 59.78.308