LAVINIUM FOUNDATION in coordination with Edremit Municipality

THE ROUTE OF : A NEW CULTURAL ROUTE OF EUROPE FROM TURKEY TO

LAVINIUM FOUNDATION in coordination with Edremit Municipality

Résumé of the presentation at the 7TH ADVISORY FORUM of CULTURAL ROUTES OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, 30TH ANNIVERSARY (1987-2017) Lucca , 2017, September 29th.

The as fundament of Europe’s identity. The journey of Aeneas, in the epopee written by , is directly related to the origins of the foundation myth of . The direct connection consigns to the Roman civilization not only the role of direct “heir” of the renewed Homeric hero but especially the one of a federating pole to and address cultural diversities, almost acting as a forerunner of the Council of Europe's principles to develop a European identity on shared values. Aeneas, who escaped from the catastrophic burning of Troy, headed towards the city of Antandros, where he set sail throughout the Mediterranean Sea, bringing with him his Father Anchises and his son Ascanius together with the Palladio, the urn holding the sacred fire of the gods.

G. Bernini, Aeneas, Anchise and Ascanio - Rome, “Galleria Borghese”

After a long and difficult journey, Aeneas fulfilled his fatum reaching the shores of Vetus, where he found the settlement of Lavinium. During the centuries, the city of Lavinium has always held a role of great importance for the Roman people who chose it as the symbol of the origins of Rome, where even the Consuls swore allegiance to the Caput Mundi and celebrated Roman Citizenship conferring ceremony. The poet T. S. Eliot at the 1944 conference at the Virgil Society in London stated: "Virgil is our classic, the classic of all Europe", defining "Virgil the centre of European civilization" (T. S. Eliot). Actually, in the Preamble of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights we read: "European peoples, in creating an ever closer union have decided to

1 THE ROUTE OF AENEAS : A NEW CULTURAL ROUTE OF EUROPE LAVINIUM FOUNDATION in coordination with Edremit Municipality share a future of peace based on common values ... Indivisible and universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity ". If we analyze this declaration in the light of Eliot's statements, we find the same values which, in part, Virgil conceived and wished in the Aeneid, where he formulated the concept of a peaceful, fair and free era of "mature civilization" and "consciousness of history" that manifested itself with the mature language used by the Latin poet "... that in a particular, unrepeatable moment of history, the Augustan age, he had become an interpreter, a measure and therefore a canon of an entire civilization" (T. S. Eliot).

For this reason, we can affirm that within the cultural heritage of European and Mediterranean populations, Aeneas’ figure represents the very keystone, the significant cultural paradigm on which the founded the basis of their culture and identity. Ancient Rome’s culture and the Latin language, extending throughout the Mediterranean and the Northern countries, to Britain, Gallia and to the German lands, created a model of the Mediterranean and European communion. This included Darden’s populations on the Aegean shores and it corresponds today to most of the territories now mentioned in United Europe at 28 and Turkey as well, as one of the “founder Countries” of the Council of Europe.

In parallel, the epic of the Trojan hero encloses political meanings and common universal values. Aeneas’ voyage represents (unlike Ulysses’ one) not the restorer’s return, but the journey that creates a commonality between diversity, giving rise to new and higher values, civilizations, and institutions. Roman culture identifies Aeneas as the "original" pater and, therefore, chooses the following paradigm: mixing can create new values. Thus, it marks a path of profound evolution over Greek culture, which had - in the autochthonous paradigm (Aristotle) - the first element of reference to emphasize the nobility of a people or of a city.

The dimension of an encounter with peoples and individuals with other cities and civilizations, characterizing the journey narrated in the Aeneid, along with the other distinctive traits of Aeneas (such as the pietas, considered by the Romans as respect and devotion to the family) makes Aeneas a key figure for our contemporary times; a hero able to face changes by enhancing diversity and encounters with other peoples without sacrificing his attachment to his traditions and his own "City".

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The journey of Aeneas as a shared scenario of common identity and culture between European and Mediterranean Countries can be enhanced in a perspective of multicultural dialogue and archaeological discovery.

The ancient legend of Aeneas, with its evocative power and universal values, is one of the most suggestive and engaging shared scenarios through which we can start a new itinerary for discovering and meeting other people. A new route involving journey, dialogue and knowledge that unfolds itself among the cultural, historical and archaeological richness of the Mediterranean sites mentioned in the Aeneid. These sites are the true protagonists and holders of our epic memory and embodies all the historical and common identity. If the "value of a myth is its strength of cohesion, that is its ability to create communion". Then, it is from this “communion requirement” that “Aeneas Project” was born, in order to re-establish this route on which modern generations will have the opportunity to move forward discovering new places and new cultures, but also towards a journey of self-discovery throughout the roots that unite European populations. In Aeneas’ journey imaginary dimension we witness the fulfilment of a fatum, by means of a path traced by his gods. However, this path is revealed by passing from real places, geographically described in detail and fixed by Virgil's epos in time and space, and making them immortal: Antandors, Delos, Butrint (Unesco Site), Castro, Drepano, Erice, Carthage, Cuma, Gaeta and Lavinium. They all become peculiar stages of a journey of civilization, discovery and determination where Aeneas is not seeking personal glory or fascinating and unbelievable adventures, but where he stands out for his sense of duty and moral tension in an existential concern that applies to all people. Therefore, meditating on Aeneas’ figure and his journey means reflecting on the roots of our identity, reconstituting a bond of new consciousness with the origin of European values and principles.

Virgil’s masterpiece, the “Aeneid”, enriched Aeneas Myth political and cultural values with universal ideals of solidarity and humanity, such as the famous episode of Aeneas and Dido. Virgil’s poem opened to a vaste and long-lasting arts production in the fields of literature, theatre, music, painting, sculpture that still inspire artist all over the world. Arts

3 THE ROUTE OF AENEAS : A NEW CULTURAL ROUTE OF EUROPE LAVINIUM FOUNDATION in coordination with Edremit Municipality production, site works and exchange of artistic experiences between Cities and Countries of the Aeneas Route cultural institution can give a strong contribution to disseminating such an important project for a common cultural memory.

Antandros

Antandros is an important city of the ancient Troad region and it is situated in the province of Balikesir. With its discovery, realized in 2001 by the Prof. Gürcan Polat, Aeneas’ journey was finally completed with its last missing historical settlement mentioned by Virgil.

Although ancient sources give a different information on the city establishment, they all agree that Antandros was famous for its dockyards. From Virgilius’ Aeneid (III:6) it is understood that the fame of the city’s dockyards and its harbours - exporting the timber acquired from Mount Ida – had gone back to the Trojan War. The Antandros Association (OSC), the Municipality of Edremit, and the University of Aegean have been engaged since 2011 in establishing an archaeological park. This park can promote Aeneas’s Myth knowledge and International relations strengthening with other Mediterranean countries, and above all with Italy and Europe and the welcoming values. The City of Edremit and the Antandros Association hosted on May 4-7, 2017, the first International Forum on the Aneas Route, with the cooperation of several Universities of the Mediterranean area (University of Aegean, Izmir, Catania, Reggio Calabria, Lecce, Balikesir etc.), Institutional representatives (Embassy of Italy in Turkey, Italian Consulate of Izmir, Mayor of Carthage, Mayor of Hania - Crete, President of International Oil Company Council, etc). Professor Nerita Ceka, a renowned archaeologist (Butrint), the Cultural Route Association in Turkey, the Coordination of the Via Francigena (video-message) and the Lavinium Foundation joined the Forum of Edremit.

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Lavinium

In 2016, the Superintendence of the Metropolitan Area of Rome opened to the public the restored areas of the Heroon of Aeneas and the Thirteen Altars. Heroon, “Aeneas’ grave”

The project of the Park Antica Lavinium and the Tenuta di Pratica Di Mare saw the light in early 2017, that is 400 years after the intervention of Scipione Borghese (in 1617) who commissioned to Gianlorenzo Bernini the sculptural masterpiece of Aeneas, Anchises and Ascanius, (Borghese Gallery in Rome). The Ratio agendi adopted has been the dissemination of the cultural heritage linked to Aeneas as the pater and central figure of the common European roots. The project includes the following goals: creating new tourist destination of European and International rank (Castello and Borgo of Pratica di Mare); involving young people in a project of cultural memory; promoting archaeology as a living discipline of high social value (summer school archaeology and restoration workshops); disseminating artisan and artistic productions related to Aeneas’ journey; promoting archaeological landscape and the "Nature of Aeneas"; organizing events, contemporary art production (" artist's residences"). For the historical and cultural meaning of Aeneas’ journey and the Diaspora followed by the Trojan fires, Lavinium is a symbol of travelling and of a Euro-Mediterranean dialogue, under the new concept of cultural diplomacy and in view of the 2018 European Year of Culture. This iconic message is fully intertwined with the cultural paradigm of ancient Rome, resumed over the centuries by different populations (Gauls, Britons, Franks and Carolingians) and European houses (Habsburg).

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