On Friday 19 October, at the Teatro degli Astrusi in Montalcino, a conference will be held to present the project concerning the restoration and research of Brunella, the Pliocene whale discovered close to the Poggio Alle Mura castle in 2007 and dating back to about 4 million years ago. The lecture, entitled Discovering Brunella, the fossil whale of Poggio Alle Mura, will begin at 10:00 am and will be dedicated exclusively to pupils and teachers of the Primary School of Montalcino. Dr. Michelangelo Bisconti, of the San Diego Natural History Museum, will illustrate the excavation and restoration work currently in progress at the Castello Banfi worksite, the multidisciplinary scientific study conducted in collaboration with various universities and the education program and training activities. These include the third edition of the Campo Scuola in Scavo e Restauro Paleobiologico, which will be held from 12 to 17 November, and free guided tours of the laboratory open to schools and the public.
On the same day at 3.30 pm, at Castello Banfi, Anna Di Bene, architect and Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto, and Arezzo, will officially inaugurate the “Cantiere Aperto” initiative, with the first two days of free guided tours scheduled for Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 October from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 17:00.
The restoration and research work is part of the Brunella Project and the result of the collaboration between the Archaeological Superintendence, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo, Banfi and the Institute of Archaeological-Anthropological Studies. The project is supported by an Art Bonus grant from Banfi to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, as well as the support of Montalcino and the recognition of prestigious Italian and international scientific institutions.