Lecture by Prof. Massimo Osanna from the University of Napoli “Federico II”, on Reimaging Pompei: archaeology, conservation, and public heritage in the 21st century

On Tuesday, June 16th, 2026, at the National Archaeological Museum, a lecture was held by Prof. Massimo Osanna from the University of Napoli “Federico II”, Director General of Museums at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, Ιtaly, on Reimaging Pompei: Archaeology, Conservation, and Public Heritage in the 21st century.

The event is a joint initiative of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Italian Embassy, and the Italian Cultural Institute in Sofia. Among the official guests of the evening were the Ambassador of Italy to Bulgaria, His Excellency Marcello Apicella, Μrs. Maria Mazza, a director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Sofia, Prof. Emanuel Mutafov, the Deputy Chairman of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and Mrs. Mariela Modeva, Deputy Minister in the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism.

After the welcoming words on behalf of the Director of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hristo Popov and the official speech of His Excellency Marcello Apicella, the lecture overview the archaeological study in the antique Pompei carried out between 1748 and today, by putting accent on the considerable influence of the Pompeian archaeological heritage on the European culture, the constantly changing attitude of the society towards it in the paradigm of history and the unique character of the archaeological site, not only in the context of its representative architecture and masterpieces of art, but also as one of the best preserved evidence for the everyday life, the social relations, the economic activities, and the personal stories during the Roman Period.

Prof. Osanna underlined that the most recent period in the study of Pompei began in 2017 with a broad digital campaign to research its archaeological heritage, including the use of advanced recording technologies, 3D modeling, and integrated interdisciplinary scientific analysis, enabling the reconstruction of the stratigraphy with striking accuracy. An accent in the lecture was put on the emblem of this innovative method, which is the study of Regio 5 and the registered within it House of Orion – a representative living complex with furniture, wall paintings, and mosaics with astral myths, revealing the substantial financial possibilities and intellectual universe of its owners.

At the end of the lecture, Prof. Osanna confirmed the role of Pompei not only as a town of the Past but also as a town of the Present, a constant reminder to think about how we construct memory, how we preserve cultural heritage, and how we transmit knowledge to future generations.