Abruzzo News: 15 May 2000

After the celebrations for patron San Giustino, a traditional tombolata, and a long agenda of appointments: a Mozart week starts tomorrow with Joseph Losey's"Don Giovanni" then Igmar Bergman's "Magic Flute", on 18 May "Così fan tutte" in the Teatro Marrucino. On 23 May the medieval week begins with Liliana Cavani's "Francesco", on the 26th a medieval dinner at Palazzo Martinetti (50.000 lire); on 27 May reenactment of medieval life at Porta Pescara; on 28 the historical Camerlengo parade at 18, followed at 19 by the "Giostra del Saracino" in Piazza V.Emanuele II. To finish on 30 may a concert with opera singer Katia Ricciarelli.

After the fireworks at 10.20 the boat parade started and crossed the 30-km wide gulf, under the eyes of thousands of spectators. Once at Punta Penna, the statues of the patrons were carried on shouldre to the church. San Nicola is the patron saint of mariners and of many centres in the area.

Seeds of some very rare species will be exchanged between the botanical garden in Lama and the renowned London center. In Lama there are 400 species, in Kew Gardens over 90,000 six of which extinct in nature. The garden in Lama is named after Neapolitan botanist Michele Tenore, who catalogued in the latter part of the 19th century almost all the species in the Aventino valley, and rose thanks to the hard work of Mirella Di Cecco and Aurelio Manzi.

After the restaurant and hotel, from this morning also the spa servicies will be working for health and beauty therapies. Bookings already for a large part of this year.