IL
PREMIO ZEUS [visita
la gallery sulla statua di Zeus]
Why is it that an International prize in archeology
i dedicated to the Greek god Zeus, in the heart of
Salento? Who is familiar with Ugento and its land,
would sense the reason immediately. Klaohi Zis is
the myth of Zeus brought into the light in this part
of Salento with a Bronze sculptor found in the diggings
1961. It is in fact the most important testimony of
historical and monumental patrimony, of which there
is still left a lot to discover and valuate. And this
is also one of the most important archaeological foundlings
of Magna Graecia. For this reason we have thought
to celebrate this founding in the best of all ways
giving a prize and the person that has dedicated his
whole life and work for the research of the statue's
origins.
The city of Ugento, under the sign of its magnificent
"Klaohi Zis", becomes therefor a trait d'union
between culture and myth, between past and present
in order to confirm its value of history and memory.
Apulia as a cultural gate to the Mediterranean and
Salento as an ideal bridge of cultural inter exchange
between populations of "Mare Nostrum" that
will find, thanks to the Zeus prize, a great opportunity
of confrontation and of diffusion for their traditions
and cultures.
Flavio Antonio Paticchio
Direttore Artistico premio Zeus 2006
It is impossible talking about Ugento not
mentioning its bond with
archeology; the development of the modern city, built
over the the antique city, brings the two parallel
worlds into symbiosis with each other, so different
in time but in the same time strongly connected when
you only need to lift a couple of centimeters of soil
to face the past. This brief consideration is sufficient
to be able to understand the background for a INTERNATIONAL
PRIZE OF ARCHEOLOGY at Ugento, linked to the most
famous interpreter of its history: the statue of Zeus!
A masterpiece in bronze of Magna Greek art, dating
from the end of the VI Century BEC. and witnesses
an important testimony of extraordinary contacts that
the little Messapian town has weaved in with the Mediterranean
civilization out of an dominant
geographical position that still today makes Salento
open to the world. An event that, when connecting
perfectly to the line marked by the exhibition "KLAOHI
ZIS, IL CULTO DI ZEUS A UGENTO", inaugurated
in July 2002 at the local Museo Civico, very deeply
connected to the roots of this centre that build its
future starting from the past, learning to grow from
whom has already proceeded it, creating progress taking
vital juice from its culture investing it on the historical
identity that belong to the region more than anything
else.
An recognition, the prize, to whom which with self-abnegation
and sacrifice works on the recovery and on the reconstruction
of this identity so protean and so in need of knowledge
and of various competences. Where every fragment occurs
to give concreteness and shape to the history: from
the restoration to the new technologies, from the
sensibility of the foundations to foreign studies,
from talents of the youths to whom has spent his whole
life on archeology.
The biggest hope that brings the spirit to this manifestation,
is that all this mentioned contribute and inspires
to further studies, to new researches and above all
that could increase the sensibility in the defense
of the cultural goods, to protect the patrimony and
the to valuate the richness.
On.le Dott. EUGENIO OZZA
Sindaco di Ugento
Avv. MASSIMO LECCI
Assessore alla Cultura
