Birthday Girl Madonna Accused of Renting Pompeii for a Song
Fans of the Queen of Pop are excited she has hired out the historic amphitheater in the lost city for her 66th birthday bash, but heritage experts are not so happy.
Robert Gauthier/Getty Images
The Italians are understandably touchy about their great historical sites being disrespected by tourists and some foreign visitors have had to pay a heavy price.
But not Madonna, apparently.
The Material Girl appears to have got the use of Pompeii, the Roman town destroyed when the volcano Vesuvius erupted in 79AD, for her 66th birthday party on Friday for a comparative steal.
Madonna’s plan for a birthday party in Pompeii’s amphitheater has riled Italians, not for being booked, but for the low price she is paying.
Giampiero Sposito/Reuters
According to The Times of London, a U.S. events company has booked the 2,200-year-old Teatro Grande amphitheater at Pompeii for €30,000, close to $30,000.
As many as 500 guests are likely to attend, among them, reportedly, Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Carmine Lo Sapio, the mayor of Pompeii, sounds like he’s a fan. “We are ready to welcome the singer,” he said, and Madonna’s Italian fan club is reported to be preparing for the Queen of pop’s arrival.
But cultural and environmental groups in Italy are not so sure.
The Times quotes Michele Campisi, general secretary of the Italia Nostra heritage association, as saying: “Why does Madonna need to go to Pompeii? Is there not a more beautiful beach she could use? €30,000 is absurd. It’s like giving Pompeii away.”
He said Pompeii has four million visitors a year and doesn’t need any publicity from Madonna.
And cultural activist Rosanna Carrieri, president of the Mi Riconosci, worried about the trend of using historic sites as a “scenic backdrop” for events.
But none of this is likely to worry Madonna too much. She may well argue that her 66th birthday is a cultural event in itself.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.