In Rome the ‘Dante Absolute’ festival at the Basilica of Maxentius with writers, actors, singers

From 1st to 20th July, the Colosseum Archaeological Park in collaboration with Electa promotes and hosts ‘Dante Absolute’, the festival organized at the Basilica of Maxentius to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri. In the seven evenings scheduled, authors and authors not only Italians will pay homage to the Supreme Poet with unpublished texts inspired by a song, a verse, a character from the ‘Divine Comedy’ or another Dante’s work to offer a new reading of the author. “In 2021, the year of Dante, the Colosseum Archaeological Park wanted to pay homage to the Supreme Poet with a Festival entirely dedicated to him, a symbol of Italian culture and language in the world – comments Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park – Let’s celebrate inside of one of the most monumental spaces of the Roman Forum his work and his figure, heritage of all “. The artistic director Maria Ida Gaeta affirms:” Starting from the awareness that a classic is an author whose texts have never finished saying that what they have to say, we are sure that these contemporary investigations on an author like Dante will be able to offer us such a richness as to make us reflect on the actuality of our lives with great critical freedom “. On the stage of Maxentius, together with the authors, they will also intervene interpreters of theater, cinema and music to celebrate Dante’s work by re-reading it and giving it new life. This will be precisely the theme of the first evening of ‘Dante Absolute’ organized in collaboration with the Ravenna Art Museum and the protagonist will be the scholar of the Italian language Giuseppe Antonelli flanked by guests such as Francesco De Gregori with the musicians of the direct Italian Popular Orchestra by Ambrogio Sparagna. On the same opening night Chiara Valerio with S ergio Rubini and Michela Murgia will give life to an impossible interview with Beatrice, following the one made by Umberto Eco in 1975 on Radio Rai. In conclusion, the intervention of rappers Murubutu and Claver Gold, who update Dante’s poetics in a rap key. Fabio Stassi, Edoardo Albinati, Stefania Auci, Nicola Lagioia; the scholars Lina Bolzoni, Giulio Ferroni and Franco Cardini and the poets Valerio Magrelli, Ana Blandiana, Daniela Attanasio, Silvia Bre, Nicola Bultrini, Claudio Damiani, Simone Di Biaso, Sara Ventroni. With them, also the actress Monica Guerritore with a theatrical text of which she herself is the author; while Dante’s readings are entrusted to the voices of Valeria Solarino, Anna Bonaiuto, Maddalena Crippa, Giorgio Colangeli, Lucia Mascino, Lunetta Savino.