The Peloponnesian War at La Scala. Thucydides becomes a show

Maria Vittoria Rava remembers 1999 as the year everything changed: her sister Francesca died in a car accident. "I was a lawyer, I was studying to become a notary. To make myself useful and give meaning to what had happened, I began to give free consultations to the non-profit world", says Maria Vittoria, president of the Francesca Rava Foundation . "I went to Mexico to meet the founder, Father Wasson, and the reality of Nph". The rest is history, with many stages, commitments and projects.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Francesca Rava-Nph Italia Ets Foundation - 25 years of activity in aid of childhood and adolescence, fragile women in Italy, Haiti and in the world - tomorrow at the Teatro alla Scala , at 8 pm, there is an extraordinary evening with the concert show "Thucydides. Athens against Melo". Protagonists Alessandro Baricco, Giovanni Sollima, Enrico Melozzi, 100 Cellos, Stefania Rocca, Valeria Solarino.

The proceeds will be donated to the NPH Saint Damien pediatric hospital in Haiti . Alessandro Baricco leads the viewer into Thucydides' " Peloponnesian War ", with him the 100 Cellos, an ensemble founded by Sollima and Melozzi who directs them here. The musical notes of maestro Sollima tell the story of the clash that took place in 416 BC between the Athenians and the inhabitants of the island of Melos, in the Cyclades, played here by Valeria Solarino and Stefania Rocca. The refusal of the Melians to submit to the ultimatum of surrender and conquest sent by the Athenians gave rise to one of the most tragic episodes of the war: the total destruction of the city, the killing of all its men, the deportation of women and children. The power of Thucydides' story reveals the meeting of ambassadors as if he had been the chronicler of those tragic events; transcribes exactly the words spoken by the ambassadors and reconstructs the heated verbal clash between the two sides. Although Thucydides is considered the first historian, the text in his poetry raises current questions on themes such as justice and law, the relationship between victim and executioner, winner and loser.

The Rava Foundation is on the front lines in emergencies that affect children and their families. It contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030 (Unsdg). It promotes long-distance adoptions, raises awareness of children's rights, and spreads the culture of volunteering with specific programs in Italy and abroad. In Italy, with the initiative "In Farmacia per i bambini" in 2024, it helped over 53,000 children in health poverty.