Francesco Sirano, director of the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, discusses the past, present, and future of the site buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. Excavated in 1738, a decade before nearby Pompeii, Herculaneum presents challenges and opportunities different from its more famous neighbor. Sirano addresses exciting new finds, conservation issues, and recent efforts to boost public awareness and engagement.
This lecture complements the exhibition Buried by Vesuvius: Treasures from the Villa dei Papiri, which will be open before and after the lecture. It is presented in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute, Los Angeles.
Francesco Sirano is an archaeologist and the director of the Parco Archeologico di Ercolano. His extensive museum management experience was honed at the Museo Archeologico e Teatro dell’antica Teanum Sidicinum, the Museo Archeologico antica Allifae, the Museo Archeologico e Circuito siti dell’Antica Capua, and the Parchi Archeologici di Baia e Cuma. Among his many research interests are Greco-Roman archaeology, the study of the image, and material culture.