Vaison, this weekend, will be all that is most Roman: in particular thanks to the presence in flesh and blood of the Emperor Hadrian and all of his people. To celebrate the centenary of the “la-Romaine” appellation of the capital Voonce, nothing less was needed.
In 1956, the second edition of the Choralies had, for those who remember, inaugurated this type of event in the form of a memorable vigil which brought together the 2,500 choristers of the festival and “the people of Vaison” in costume. ‘era. The Roman Days of May 2014 have also left their mark on memories.
We remember that the Vaisonnais were able to see a Roman legion in uniform parade through the streets of the city, punctuated by a few warlike cries. Indeed, for four days, in order to promote the ancient sites of the city, the heritage services called on two historical reenactment associations – Augustus Caesar Praetoria, based in Vaison-la-Romaine, and Legion VIII Augusta – which used to working together. Made up of volunteers, the first team, chaired by Valerio Bello, reconstructs the entourage of Emperor Hadrian, and the second shows the life of the Gallo-Romans in the Flavian era.
An “archaeologist of life”
Saturday May 11 and Sunday May 12, Vaison will rediscover the colors of ancient Romanity with Valerio Bello, dressed for years in the purple mantle of Emperor Hadrian (117–138 AD). In reconstructed costume, he stages Roman life as if the audience were there.
How did a former mason, originally from Carpentras, come to take on the habit and personality of the highest dignitary of Rome, found naked in the basement of the ancient theater in the form of a marble statue by Canon Joseph Sautel in 1912? When asked, Valerio Bello replies that his passion for the Roman world comes from his Italian and Sicilian origins. It especially appeared to him as a child, when he went to meet his grandparents in Italy. “When my father passed through the city of Rome, I liked to look at the monuments, like the Colosseum, and I imagined how people were dressed in those days.“
From there to choose Hadrian? “What I like about him is that he was a man who above all loved peace, the arts and philosophy. He was a peaceful emperor as his predecessors were all great warriors. He himself was a warrior, but he had one particularity: he was a tourist before his time.“
This is how Valerio became a “living archaeologist“a perfectionist and detail-oriented. He doesn’t consider himself a certified academic, but he thinks that historical reconstruction allows us to bring a new form of research to history.”To start an outfit, you have to observe the statues, the coins, the manuscripts.“The reconstructions, whether drawn, as the architect Jean-Claude Golvin does, or living as proposed by Augustus Caesar Praetoria, remain hypothetical, but contribute to perceiving the past as closely as possible to the historical truth.
Meeting the Roman Empire is on the menu for Saturday and Sunday, which will each take place in the same way. The public will be able to discover the court of Emperor Hadrian, the art of gladiators, the excellence of the Praetorian Guard or even women’s fashion in ancient Rome, thanks to numerous demonstrations.
Antoine Abou
The program
9:30 a.m.-10 a.m.. Parade through the streets and on Place Montfort. In the ancient site of Villasse, continuous: training of gladiators, legionaries and the Praetorian Guard, camp life, stands.
11 a.m. Visit to the ancient theater.
11 a.m.-12 p.m. Presentation of the court of Emperor Hadrian and demonstration of imperial worship.
12 p.m. Visit to the Villasse site.
2-2:45 p.m. Military maneuvers and presentation of the Roman legion.
3 p.m. Visit to the House of the Laureate Apollo.
3-3:30 p.m. Exhibition on women’s fashion during the Empire.
3:45 p.m.-4 p.m. Presentation of the elite soldiers of the Praetorian Guard.
4 p.m. Visit to the Villasse site. In the Puymin site.
4:30 p.m. – 8 a.m. Greetings and blessings of the standards, demonstrations of gladiator fights and ancient dance.
Pass ticket: €9 for adults; €4 for 10-17 year olds; free up to 9 years old. Free entry for all residents of Vaison-la-Romaine and the Vaison Ventoux inter-municipal territory, (on presentation of proof of address).
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