ROME (AP) ― Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient commercial farm in the heart of modern Rome, taking advantage of subway construction to explore deeply in urban settings. They worked some 20 meters down near St. John in Lateran Basilica. Today’s Rome rests upon medieval layers and, under those, more ancient strata of life. Rossella Rea, the dig’s leader and a culture ministry official, said Wednesday that archaeologists discovered a first-century agricultural business, the closest to Rome’s

‘Here Comes Simcheong’ expects to bring madangnori fans, new audiences back to theater for holiday season

The cast of French musical “Notre-Dame de Paris” showcases the show’s famous numbers during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. (Mast Entertainment)Nine years after the original French production of the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris” closed its wildly successful run in Paris, the show’s creators have united for a grand revival. And Korean fans will be the first to watch it. In Gyeongju, a small, unassuming Korean town in North Gyeongsang Province known for its long history, director Gilles Mah

MINNEAPOLIS ― A.J. Paron-Wildes’ home, a walk-out rambler in suburban Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, is a study in calm ― all clean, uncluttered spaces and earthy, neutral hues that echo the autumn leaves framing the view of the St. Croix River. On an autumn afternoon, daughter Eva, 6, is having an after-school snack, while son Devin, 19, sketches intently, seated at the studio desk in his orderly bedroom.This peaceful environment is entirely by design. When you have an autistic child, calm is a p

Blame wet feet.It took several days of rain on a Colorado family vacation to move Julianne Vanden Wyngaard from tent camper to motor home owner.“I thought when cooking outside one wet evening, please get me off the ground,” says the carillonneur and Grand Valley State University faculty member from Grand Rapids, Michigan.The Vanden Wyngaards started with a 24-foot motor home, which they used for camping. Some 10 years ago, anticipating semiretirement and a chance to be snowbirds, they took the p

In Seoul’s small but vibrant operatic scene, opera is virtually synonymous with a thrilling drama, spectacle and over-the-top singing. In surveys, “Carmen,” “La Traviata” or “Aida” come out as some of Koreans’ all-time favorites. To add the spice of diversity to the scene, Seoul Arts Center is offering local fans a chance to uncover a hidden gem in the operatic repertory ― one that is loved by fans around the world, but is rarely performed in Korea. For just one night on Dec. 6, it will present

“Bongsunhwa (Garden Balsam)” is not being staged to criticize the Japanese people because they were also victims of the war. It artistically accuses the Japanese government of refusing to offer a heartfelt apology for its imperialistic deeds, says its artistic director Kim Hye-ryun.The play, which deals with the issue of victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, euphemistically called “comfort women,” will be restaged in Korea this month. Premiered here last year, “Bongsunhwa” received wide acc

FestivalsThe New Year Festival, Busan: This festival greets the first sunrise of the New Year on Haeundae Beach and at Yongdusan Park, two popular tourist sites. Festival-goers will bid farewell to 2014 at a bell-tolling event at Yongdusan Park from 11 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2015. The event will resume with the sunrise on Haeundae Beach at 6:40 a.m. Small and large events such as fireworks, concerts and other entertainment will add to the festive mood. For more information, vis

Korean farmers’ traditional folk dance and music “nongak” has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the Korean government said Thursday. It is Korea’s 17th item to be inscribed on the international heritage list, following the addition in December last year of “gimjang,” the culture of making and sharing kimchi. Meeting in Paris, representatives of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage decided to add th

Architect Rem Koolhaas expressed his concerns about contemporary design turning into a surveillance system during a special lecture held as part of the Herald Design Forum 2014 in Seoul. In today’s globalized economy, digital technology, individualized culture and data-driven design that allows monitoring of the masses often put human freedom at risk, according to Koolhaas. “Design occurs at every level, how design can be simple and straight forward and how design can be complex, political, econ

Inspiration-seeking designers attended a design forum in Seoul on Wednesday to listen to dignitaries from around the world explain how they drew up original ideas during their youth. Speakers included Rem Koolhaas, Matthew Cockerill, Alexander Schill and engineer-turned designer Daniel Kim, among the 10 experts who shared their thoughts at the annual Herald Design Forum, now in its fourth year.This year’s forum title is “Expanding the definition of design,” and will discuss the influence of desi