Saturday, March 5, 2011: Bellarmine University's Jazz Ensemble performs in Maiori

After their first night in Italy, the Bellarmine University Music Department Tour transfers from Cetara to nearby Maiori this morning for an orientation tour, followed by a special pizza-making workshop and lunch at Mammoto. The group will have some free time this afternoon for exploration and shopping before this evening's performance. 
The Bellarmine University Jazz Ensemble presents their first Italian performance at 7:30 this evening at la Sala degli Affreschi in Maiori's City Hall. 

The Sala degli Affreschi is part of the Mezzacapo Building. As the visitor enters the massive carved wooden door, the magnificence of the ancient entrance to the home of the former Marquis of Mezzacapo is immediately apparent.

Two marble stairways lead to the upper floors of the building, which, today, is the seat of the City Hall. The sumptuous Reception Hall stands out among the various rooms of the building. The grand vaulted ceiling, frescoed with a depiction of "The Triumph of the Olympians", and the walls adorned by mirrors and gilded figurines, give this hall a pompous ambiance, but also enchanting. In 1943, during the Allied landing, this building was the General Headquarters of the American troops stationed in the area.