From Palestrina to Naxos, the multidisciplinary festival “Ierofania – Sulle vie del sacro” transforms six archaeological areas in central and southern Italy into living theatres of the contemporary
Six regions, six theatres of millennia-old memory and a single creative breath. From 18 July to 27 September, central and southern Italy become the stage for Ierofania – Sulle vie del sacro, a multidisciplinary festival created to reconnect the invisible thread linking historical and archaeological heritage to the deeper meaning of the sacred, restoring its echo and power through the expressive languages of the contemporary world.
The initiative is conceived as a journey of identity and spirituality across Lazio, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily. Devised by the Department for the Enhancement of Cultural Heritage (Diva) of the Italian Ministry of Culture and operationally structured by the Central Institute for the Economic Enhancement and Promotion of Cultural Heritage (IC-Vepp), the project proposes a new semantics of cultural enhancement: no longer static museum conservation, but a fertile space for interaction, listening and the collective regeneration of communities.
The encounter between archaeology and the contemporary
The term hierophany, borrowed from the famous reflections of historian of religions Mircea Eliade, refers to the manifestation of the sacred. In the context of the festival, this manifestation takes the form of a rich and polyphonic cultural programme that will inhabit temples, castles and millennia-old amphitheatres with a strong sense of identity.
The challenge of the project — scientifically curated by Alberto Samonà, with artistic direction by Fulvia Toscano — is to demonstrate that archaeology is not an archive of the past, but a language of the present. Rather than simply hosting “open-air” events, archaeological parks become active partners in the performances. Contemporary artworks are not merely displayed, but enter into resonance with classical architecture.
“Contemporary art too is an expression of the sacred: through images, logos and sounds that are the archetypes of a vital force which surpasses thousands of years of history and continues to manifest itself,” underlines Giorgio Calcara, curator of the Contemporary Art section.
The stages of the journey
The itinerary will begin at the oracular Sanctuary of Praeneste, in Palestrina near Rome, before moving on to the Doric temples of Paestum, the Roman Amphitheatre of Lecce, the ancient museum architectures of Matera and the archaeological area of Locri Epizefiri, finally concluding along the evocative shores of Giardini Naxos in Sicily.
“Ierofania was born from the conviction that every place preserves a deep memory and its own symbolic dimension,” comments Alfonsina Russo, head of the Diva Department. “To cross these sites means recognising their value not only as historical and archaeological places, but also as religious ones. The festival invites the public to rediscover the sense of the sacred as an experience of knowledge.”
The programme’s defining feature lies precisely in the polyphonic interweaving of the arts. Each stage will unfold over two days filled with immersive events, following a format that includes seminars and debates with philosophers, archaeologists, anthropologists and poets; archaeological walks dedicated to the rediscovery of sacred routes; and music, theatre and dance performances.
The Contemporary Art section, curated by Giorgio Calcara, will bring epoch-making masterpieces into exceptional contexts. One example is the widespread exhibition in Matera, which will host Salvador Dalí’s sculptural work The Angel of Triumph. In parallel, Nicola Verlato’s pictorial installations in Palestrina and Stefania Pennacchio’s expressive sculptures in Paestum will act as visual resonators of the genius loci, while the musical and theatrical stage will feature artists such as Ambrogio Sparagna — performing in Lecce with the Orchestra Popolare Italiana — and dramaturgical works from Indian epic tradition with the performance Mahābhārata.
Stones that sing
Special attention will be devoted to poetic and theatrical language through the section Pietre che cantano — “Stones that sing”. The voices of actors such as Fabrizio Ferracane, Roberto Latini and Cinzia Maccagnano will give body and sound to readings, dramaturgies and poetic compositions conceived specifically to awaken the soul of the ruins and establish an intimate dialogue between the physical presence of the artefacts and the evanescence of performative art.
The programme also includes widespread art exhibitions and site-specific contemporary art installations.
Cover image: The Archaeological Park of Locri Epizefiri © Comune di Reggio Calabria
