This year’s Ides of Burnum, in its sixteenth edition, successfully revived the spirit of the Roman era and attracted numerous visitors to the only preserved Roman military amphitheater in Croatia
This year’s Ides of Burnum, in its sixteenth edition, successfully revived the spirit of the Roman era and attracted numerous visitors to the only preserved Roman military amphitheater in Croatia The event began with an extensive fair, which included various educational and entertainment workshops, including pottery, puppetry, and juggling. A particularly exciting moment was the puppet show about the beautiful Antonia and her love for the Emperor Vespasian, as well as the mythological story about Apollo and Daphne as performed by the talented students of the drama group of the Lovra Monti High School from Knin.
The program continued in the spirit of the Olympic Games, where visitors had the opportunity to meet Roman emperors such as Vespasian, Domitian, Augustus, Nero, Caligula, and Constantine the Great, while Barbarians and Celts competed in various sports in the he play “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body,” directed by Petra Bernarda Blašković, who, in addition to her regular theater work, also directs and writes scripts for numerous site-specific performances related to the valorization of cultural heritage in Croatia and Italy. Over sixty performers entertained a full arena with a joint performance. Petra Bernarda Blašković, through the script and concept of an interactive experience for the audience, brought together academic actors from all over Croatia, puppeteers, jugglers, as well as dancers and musicians from Italy. Alongside local seasoned forces of legionnaires, gladiators, and wrestlers, as well as high school students, they created a dynamic sixty-minute show during which the audience enjoyed their skills and learned something about the history of the Olympic Games and sports through laughter.
The evening ended with a fantastic concert by the Dancing Queen ABBA Real Tribute Band, which made the audience jump with hits like “Dancing Queen” and “Mamma Mia”. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of this event, from the performers and participants, to visitors, who all supported the preservation of Roman heritage and culture with their presence.