Ballet dancers perform in Hadrianapolis

TIRANA, August 16 – The conclusion of an Italian-Albanian archaeological expedition at the ancient Roman city of Hadrianapolis in southern Albania was celebrated with a ballet show bringing classical performances.
Albania ballet dancer Anbeta Toromani, who lives and works in Italy, and three renowned Italian dancers performed some ballet masterpieces, including Lacrimosa and Madame Butterfly in the event called “Tracing Hadrian.”
Roberto Perna, an Italian archaeologist who has led the joint expedition at Hadrianapolis for the past five years said “reusing the ancient Roman site for such a modern art event, meant tracing back the road Hadrian (Roman emperor) showed us with his dream of universal peace.”
Meanwhile, deputy Culture Minister Suzana Turku described the joint event as an opportunity to promote cultural exchange.
The expedition was co-led by professor Roberto Perna of Italy’s University of Macerata and Dhimiter Condi of the Albania Archaeological Institute. It was aimed at compiling an archaeological map of the Drino Valley, where ancient Hadrianapolis lies.
Located in Drino valley in Gjirokastra region by a village bearing the same name, Roman Adrianopolis dates back to the second century A.D. The theatre was excavated in 1984 and has a capacity of 4,000 seats in 27 steps.
The settlement, Hellenistic in origin, was re-founded under Emperor Hadrian, who gave it its name. The excavated remains include public buildings such as a theatre and Roman baths, large parts of the urban settlement and an extensive necropolis.