The documentary film "The Treasure of the House of Menander - Chronicle of an archaeological discovery" was screened on the 27th of October in the Palace of the Dukes of Santo Stefano, in Taormina. This movie traces the history of one of the most important discoveries of silver (second only to the Boscoreale Treasure for weight and number of pieces) ever carried out in the Vesuvian archaeological sites. The work, which will be visible "entering" in virtual "numismatic portal" of the Italian Government in a few weeks, tells about the discovery of this treasure that consists of silverware, jewelry and coins. The excavations were directed by Amedeo Maiuri, the archaeologist who in almost half a century of investigations and excavations brought to light what is now possible to see at Herculaneum and Pompeii. To introduce the viewer into the house, belonged to the family of the Empress Poppea, third wife of Nero, there were Serafina Pennestrì and Antonio Varone, who edited the documentary film made by Poligrafico and Zecca dello Stato. Mr. Varone, archaeologist, director of excavations at Pompeii for a decade, tells how, between 1926 and 1932, the house was dug out and leads the viewer to discover the environments where it was found the case with silverware and joys. Serafina Pennestrì, head of numismatic portal of the Ministry of Culture, illustrated the fineness of silver, to tell of their importance and their "rescue", as well as coins and jewels found in a box hidden inside a chest. The treasure of the "Menander", so called from a fresco which reproduces the image of the poet Menander, is preserved at the Archaeological Museum of Naples and consists in 108 beautiful pieces (tableware, drinking and toiletries), many fine jewelry and a hoard of coins: 13 gold coins and 33 silver coins.
The movie was pre-viewed by the press, during the presentation of the "Conference of medals: The story that belongs to us". The workshop, which took place in Taormina and Syracuse, in Sicily, from Thursday the 27th to Saturday the 29th of October, told through very special testimony the coins, the history of Italy, of the municipalities, of the duchies, the lordships, the Middle Ages, until Greek and Roman period. The aim is to take stock of the ability to create a system and offer to the tourist enjoyment of the medals of Italy. The event, sponsored by the Directorate General Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of the Ministry of Culture, is divided into a series of events intended both to the institutional sector and the public. "We aim to leave the museums activating the interest in protection of cultural heritage both in schools and young people - says Serafina Pannestrì – We also want to arouse curiosity: for the first time we showed a live minting of an ancient coin". It is the "Tauromenion silver, a" coin of the third century BC that in Taormina, the ancient Tauromenion, was used as currency. An interesting window is the one that will open on the storefronts of the coins of the major Italian museums, available on-line on Numismatic Portal, where you can admire many specimens offered for public use. Among them, precisely the coins of the Archaeological Museum of Naples with its 150,000 specimens (fifteen thousand coins found in the ruins of Pompeii) that tell the monetary history of southern Italy from the sixth century BC to the Bourbons age. Come explore the ruins of ancient Pompeii with us on a special guided tour of Pompeii with virtual reality headsets which transport you to the past!
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AuthorStaff at Flashback Journey to Pompeii. Our goal is to bring you up-to-date information on events, continuing archeological excavations and more on Pompeii. Archives
July 2018
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