EXHIBIT BOOTHS, CONFERENCES, AND WORKSHOPS IN PAESTUM
28th Mediterranean Archaeological Tourism Fair
Paestum (SA) Archaeological Complex · October 29 – November 1, 2026
The Herculaneum Archaeological Park is participating in the 28th edition of the Mediterranean Archaeological Tourism Fair (BMTA), scheduled to take place in Paestum from October 29 to November 1, 2026, to present to the public the results of the most recent research, restoration, and enhancement activities carried out at the site.
The Ministry of Culture’s booth will feature a screening of the video “Herculaneum: A Myth Enveloped by the Future,” produced by the Herculaneum Archaeological Park.
THE MEETINGS
Four events are scheduled to take place in the event’s conference room, organized by park officials:
Villa Sora: New Discoveries and Preservation Efforts
Marina Caso, PAE Archaeologist — The preservation and conservation efforts and the results of the archaeological research conducted at Villa Sora between 2025 and 2026, as part of an excavation campaign sponsored by the General Directorate of Museums.
The Restoration of a Restoration: The Charred Wood Sideboard from Herculaneum
Elisabetta Canna, PAE restoration specialist — The recent restoration of the charred wooden sideboard discovered on the Decumanus Maximus, one of the rarest examples of daily life in the ancient city, is now on display at the Antiquarium.
Mobile Technology Island: The Beginning of the Process of Preparing the Artifact for Display Following Its Discovery
Simone Marino, PAE Archaeologist — As part of the PNRR, high-tech temporary storage facilities designed for the initial safeguarding of newly excavated artifacts.
The Park as a Living Space: Cultural Enhancement and Its Relationship with the Local Area
Maricarmen Pepe, PAE Archaeologist — The Park’s summer live entertainment program, “Fridays in Herculaneum” and “The Leisure of Hercules,” and the work carried out in collaboration with the Packard Institute and the local community.
THE LAB FOR SCHOOLS
Once upon a time
Edited by Maricarmen Pepe (PAE), Maria Vittoria Bramante (UniPegaso), and Maria Cristina Napolitano (PAE) — Intended for 4th and 5th-grade elementary school classes.
A workshop that introduces children to ancient Herculaneum through wax tablets, which are among the most extraordinary sources of historical documentation discovered at the site. Through storytelling and hands-on activities, participants get to try their hand at Roman writing using a stylus and reproductions of wax tablets.
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF HERCULANEUM
The Herculaneum Archaeological Park is an institution of the Ministry of Culture, established by Ministerial Decree No. 44 of January 23, 2016, and endowed with organizational, economic, financial, accounting, and scientific autonomy, with the aim of protecting and promoting the archaeological site of Herculaneum, including the Villa dei Papiri and the Underground Theater. As of 2023, the Villa Sora in Torre del Greco will also fall under the Park’s direct jurisdiction.
Since 2001, Herculaneum has benefited from an ongoing public-private partnership with the Packard Humanities Institute, which contributes to the conservation and promotion of the site through the Packard Institute for Cultural Heritage (IPBC). Since 1997, the archaeological site has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.