Young Italian Talents on Stage during Il Salotto della Sfinge
From August 24th to 26th, it's time for the fifth edition of the Salon of the Sphinx, the cultural festival where Villa San Michele delves into contemporary issues. This year's theme is Youth. All participants are under 30 years old."Italy is the European country with the oldest population. Few children are born, and youth unemployment is high. Questions related to young people's opportunities to create a future for themselves are not prioritized in the societal debate. However, Italy is filled with talented, young individuals who will build the future of their country. We want to give them a voice," says Kristina Kappelin, the curator of Villa San Michele. She initiated the Salon of the Sphinx in 2019 with the aim of expanding the cultural offerings of the Swedish Mediterranean Institute and thereby its audience.
The festival is designed as panel discussions with guests from various sectors of society.
On August 24th, some of Italy's young and most successful entrepreneurs in fashion, food, and journalism, Alessandro Marinella, Marianna Palella, and Federico Poletti, will come together. Following their discussion, the singer Greta Zuccoli, who has participated in the Sanremo Festival, will perform.
On August 25th, the focus is on activism. Victoria Oluboyo, of Italian-Nigerian origin and a prominent member of the social-democratic party, will converse with Nina Corradini, a former gymnast in Italy's successful rhythmic gymnastics team. Nina courageously revealed the coaches' psychological abuse, leading to a scandal. In the next discussion, we'll hear from Pietro Turano, an actor and LGBTQ+ activist, alongside Miguel Gobbo Diaz, the first black Italian actor to land the lead role in a popular crime series.
On August 26th, Greta Esposito and Demetra Bellina will take the outdoor stage at Villa San Michele. Both are up-and-coming actors. Greta has appeared in the TV series "Mare Fuori," which has broken all viewership records in Italy. The discussions will revolve around career opportunities, developments in film and TV, the MeToo movement in Italy, and much more.
All conversations will be in Italian.
"With the Sphinx Salon, we primarily target the local population and Italian tourists to fulfill the part of our mission that involves building bridges between Sweden and Italy in the realm of culture. Having Greta Zuccoli sing Monica Zetterlund, famous Swedish jazz singer, is the icing on the cake," says Kristina Kappelin.
Villa San Michele is one of the most visited museums in the Campania region, with around 125,000 visitors from all around the world annually. Slowly but surely, younger people are finding their way to this Swedish paradise on Capri.
"It's encouraging that more young people are taking notice of the unique cultural heritage that Villa San Michele represents. And this is due in part to initiatives like the Sphinx Salon."
The events are free and open to the public, subject to seat availability.
For information and reservations: 0818371401 - events@sanmichele.org
Possibility of return to Naples with the last maritime run.