POMPEII
“In Italian we say «conoscere a memoria» or «conoscere a mente». The French say «connaître par coeur», the British: «to have by heart». What should I deduce? Is Italian more ‘mental’ than French and English? Anyway, we appreciate the French form that is to say what we know by heart, without the need for intermediate tools or documents, we know it «through the heart», i.e. we love it; as if to remember is to love – as it is indeed. English is, in this sense, even more accurate, because to have by heart literally means that the thing we remember we keep it in our heart.” [A. Savinio, Nuova enciclopedia, Milano: Adelphi, 1977]
Keeping in mind this thought by the famous Italian writer Alberto Savinio (1891-1952), I conceived this project on the Ancient Roman city Pompeii. The Ancient Pompeii was mostly destroyed and buried under a volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 and then buried for almost 1700 years; only from the 17th century the ruins of the ancient city have been brought to light. Pompeii stands young as if by magic. It is simultaneously history, eternal present and unchanged and petrified future.