An upcoming event titled "In vino veritas. Produzione e consumo del vino nei reperti del MArTA" is scheduled for Monday, November 11, at 5:30 PM. The director of MArTA, Stella Falzone, remarked on the significance of the occasion, coinciding with the feast of San Martino, a revered figure in Puglia, particularly for his connections to grape harvesting and wine production.
Wine and grapes were vital economic resources in Magna Grecia. From the 8th century BCE, Greek aristocrats began dedicating specific moments to wine consumption, known as symposiums, which became key social gatherings in the ancient world.
During the classical and Hellenistic periods, viticulture flourished in Magna Grecia. Ancient historians noted various grape varieties, such as biblia, and wines like aminaios and lagaritonos. The wine produced in Taranto was praised by Athenaeus for being "light, gentle, sweet, and easy to digest."
Direct evidence of viticulture in the Taranto area includes cultivation signs linked to vineyard planting, particularly in Via Campania and Torre Montello, as well as archaeological finds of charred or mineralized grape seeds.
This thematic visit, lasting approximately one and a half hours, is intended for adults and is included in the MArTA entrance fee of 10 euros (free for children and subject to legal exemptions or existing agreements). Reservations are mandatory and can be made at 099.4532112.
Image Caption: Apulian red-figure chalice crater depicting Dionysus with kantharos and thyrsus, surrounded by satyrs and a maenad, 420-425 BCE, from Taranto, Contrada S. Lucia, 1885.