In this Lecture
you will discover the layered history of ancient Praeneste, today’s Palestrina, in this one-hour lecture that brings to life one of Lazio’s most fascinating towns. We’ll explore the spectacular terrace sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, a masterpiece of Roman architecture cascading down the hillside, and the dazzling Nile Mosaic, whose vivid imagery captures a world of myth, nature, and empire. Through a blend of archaeology, history, art, and religion, we’ll trace Praeneste’s journey from a powerful Latin stronghold to a cherished retreat of Rome’s elite.
Using ancient sources, inscriptions, coins, and digital reconstructions, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how scholars read and interpret archaeological landscapes. Virtual site walks and close analyses of museum collections will reveal how daily life, sacred ritual, and artistic expression intertwined in this remarkable city.
By the end of the session, you’ll see how Palestrina’s terraces, stones, and streets tell stories that echo across the Mediterranean world—offering insights not only into ancient urban life but also into the ongoing challenges of heritage conservation and sustainable tourism today.
Curriculum
Francesca Barberini
is an art historian with a degree from the University of Rome La Sapienza, and who lives in Rome, city she truly loves. Francesca is a member of the illustrious Barberini family that produced Pope Urban VIII, who consecrated and decorated the new St Peter’s Basilica. She spent several years cataloguing art religious buildings in central Italy, she began leading tours in Rome and surroundings. Her knowledge of art is, literally, encyclopedic! Although she leads tours of all the major sites in Rome, she loves leading tours in Roman palaces focusing on the way people use to live in the “Palazzi” and the way their collections of art where “used” in daily life, expressing the ideas of the family and is completing a book on the subject.
