The Roman mosaic at the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli
An international conference on the art of mosaic in the Roman period took place in Spilimbergo on Tuesday 10 October 2023. The venue chosen for this important day of studies was the institution that has been involved in training and promoting mosaics for over a hundred years, namely the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli. First edition of an in-depth study dedicated to ancient mosaic, which the organizers have already announced will be repeated next year, was promoted and curated by the Association of Eastern European Countries (Murcia, Spain), by the History Museum National and Archeology of Constanta and Center for the Studies of Black Sea Civilizations (Romania), by the Institute of the Romanian Language (Bucharest, Romania), with the patronage of the Consulate General of Romania in Trieste and the collaboration of the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli. The European scope with which the conference was conceived was reflected in the program which saw the participation of speakers from Spain, Romania and Italy.
The conference opened with institutional greetings and wishes to the participants and speakers for a fruitful day of work from the president of the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli Stefano Lovison, the councilor for culture of the Municipality of Spilimbergo Ester Filipuzzi, the director of Constantin Aurel Mototolea Museum of Natural History and Archeology of Constanta, the president of the Association of Eastern European Countries Luminița Pigui Neagoe, and the consul general of Romania in Trieste Cosmin Victor Lotreanu.
The conference was held in two languages, Italian and Romanian, although there was no shortage of questions and explanations in Spanish and obviously in English. The work was coordinated by the director of the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli Gian Piero Brovedani and by Adriana Ioana Opriș, professor and collaborator of the Institute of the Romanian Language in Bucharest who was also responsible for managing the translations.
In addition to the public present in the room with the participation of the students of the first course of the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli, that is, those who deal with the Roman mosaic and during the training year study and reproduce the technique and expressive form of specimens of ancient art, the conference is was also followed in streaming through a connection managed from Romania and coordinated from Mexico where the contact person for the Archaeological Museum of Constanta was located.
In the first morning session the following spoke: Irina Sodoleanu and Maria Bolocan from the Museum of National History and Archeology of Constanta (Romania) with the illustration of the archaeological case of the 4th century building, emporium of the ancient city of Tomis, with a vast polychrome mosaic floor with geometric and plant motifs; Francisco Peñalver of the Archaeological Museum of Cehegín (Spain) who presented the activity of a laboratory for the restoration and reproduction of Roman and Byzantine mosaics born in close relationship with the museum; Oana Grigoruță of the Museum of National History and Archeology of Constanta (Romania) who focused on the presence of the image of the dolphin in Roman mosaics, a rich overview of cases supported by many images to describe the forms, but also the symbols assumed by this aquatic animal. The afternoon saw the reports of: Mario Cesarano of the ABAP Superintendence – for the metropolitan area of Naples with the rich case history of the floor mosaics of Nola (Campania); Daniela Stratides of the Museum of National History and Archeology of Constanta (Romania) with an analysis of the decorative motifs witnessed by the Roman mosaics in the historical region of Dobruja, located between Romania and Bulgaria; and finally the architect Paolo Tomasella of ERPAC – Regional Body for Cultural Heritage of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region who addressed, through the study of documentary evidence and works still visible, the presence of Friulian mosaic artists and terrazzo workers in Romania.
A thoroughly international conference that the Mosaic School of Friuli welcomed with keen interest not only to offer students and teachers ideas and new knowledge, but also with a view to a broad and enriching exchange, updated and open to the world, also seen the large audience who followed the event online.
Moments of the study day: the start with greetings from the authorities; the architect Paolo Tomasella during his speech with the professor and translator Adriana Ioana Opriș.
President Stefano Lovison, councilor Ester Filipuzzi, consul Cosmin Victor Lotreanu, director Gian Piero Brovedani and professor Adriana Ioana Opriș.
October 11, 2023
