Reviews, Festival of the Vesuvian Villas: Roots that flourish in the present

by Maria Punzo

The Festival of the Vesuvian Villas has reached its 36th edition , an event that is not only cultural, but profoundly identity-building. This year, the chosen theme— "Roots and Identity" —resounds particularly powerfully among the marvelous villas of the Golden Mile , not only architectural masterpieces, but symbolic, living places, steeped in memory, capable of uniting past and future in a single, moving tale.

Mario Biondi opened the festival on July 4th with his warm, deep voice, ushering in a calendar rich in music, words, thoughts, and inspiration. Now, at the halfway point, it's time to take stock , and the sentiments are overwhelmingly positive.

"We work on our roots, because that's where our identity comes from," says artistic director Bruno Tabacchini , who has devotedly overseen every detail of the program since January. A long and passionate career spanning music and theater, he has always kept an eye on the beauty of places and their ability to inspire.

Roots were the true common thread of this edition: cultural roots , such as those celebrated in memory of the tenth anniversary of the death of Pino Daniele ; historical roots , such as those evoked in the Concert of the Two Sicilies , scheduled for July 17th , which paid homage to Roberto De Simone with the participation of Alfio Antico , one of the greatest “tammorra” players in the world. This week, on July 18th , Luigi Carbone performed “Neaco ,” a musical tale that, through a contemporary twist, tells of transformations, dreams, and identities in motion. There was also a reflection on the role of new technologies in entertainment .

"Inserting technology into Pound's thinking enriches our theater," explains Tabacchini. "Multimedia, for us Neapolitans, has always been part of artistic expression, ever since the days of Andy Warhol."

A concept that ties in with the column "Mind, Heart, and Machine ," where technology is seen not just as a tool, but as an extension of human creativity. When the machine merges with intuition and emotion, art finds new languages : technology not only accompanies the show, but can become its protagonist, transforming itself into an art form .

Among the events already performed, Simona Molinari's performance with the Orchestra della Magna Grecia stands out . She narrated time according to the Greeks , blending with the eternal soul of Villa Campolieto. A perfect example of how the location is never just a setting, but an integral part of the work.

And then there is the value of the human encounter : between artists and audiences, between different stories, between eras and sensibilities.

"The people you meet during these evenings are part of the magic. It's in these exchanges that the festival truly comes to life," concludes Tabacchini.

The first assessment, therefore , is more than positive: because when art takes root in memory and looks to the future, beauty finds new forms to be reborn . And the Vesuvian Villas, once again, confirm themselves as places of the soul, where roots continue to flourish.