ROME (AP) — Archaeologists in Pompeii, the ancient city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, have unveiled the partially reconstructed frescoed ceiling vault of a banquet hall featuring detailed images of Greek mythology.
The curved vault was presented late Thursday at the end of an international workshop on new discoveries and restorations in the excavations of Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is one of Italy’s most visited tourist attractions.
The archaeological park said Friday that it used an innovative method to reconstruct the ceiling, which is believed to have been from a banquet hall on the upper floor of a house with an adjoining bakery.
Experts created a curved support structure to place the fragments in the design that replicates the original shape of the vault. As new fragments of frescoes are found and restored, they can be added to the scene, the park said in a statement.
Archaeologists determined that the main theme of the work was of Dionysus and Ariadne, whose union is one of the best-known Greek myths.
In this picture made available by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Friday, July 24, 2026, part of the restored ceiling of the Bakery House is displayed at the Pompeii Archaeological site. (Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP)
In this picture made available by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Friday, July 24, 2026, part of the restored ceiling of the Bakery House is displayed at the Pompeii Archaeological site. (Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP)
BERLIN (AP) — Drag queen Sister Daphne OSPI pushed aside her pink veil, fluttered her long purple eyelashes and raised her hands to bless the crowd at Berlin’s first drag march.
She was among the organizers of Friday afternoon's event, which served as the opening act for one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected Saturday to join Berlin's pride parade, known in Germany as Christopher Street Day.
“Every step is a declaration, every kiss an act of revolution, every wig is a war cry,” she said as some 500 drag queens, drag kings and LGBTQ+ supporters cheered before marching and dancing through the city to the music of the Transophonix brass band.
The band played “Das lila Lied,” or “The Lavender Song,” an anthem of the gay rights movement from the 1920s, as performers in high heels, glittering dresses and flamboyant makeup passed the Reichstag parliament building and continued to the Brandenburg Gate.
“We’re combining protest and resistance with joy and celebration,” Sister Daphne said. "That’s what makes us so unique and that’s also what makes our demonstrations so popular.”
Berlin's annual Pride celebration commemorates the 1969 Stonewall rebellion in New York, which began after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village.
Sister Daphne belongs to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an LGBTQ+ group made up mostly of people who dress flamboyantly as nuns. She said she was delighted that hundreds attended the march and that more and more joined as it moved through Berlin.
The organization was founded in San Francisco in 1979, and its German branch was established in 1991.
“Usually, we sisters are out and about in the nightlife scene, handing out safer-sex materials and collecting donations for people affected by HIV and AIDS, as well as for queer projects," Sister Daphne said. “Or we’re out at Pride parades, all over the country — across Germany, and sometimes even throughout Europe.”
On Friday, Sister Daphne had a wide smile on her face, which was painted white, as she raised her left fist in a gesture of protest and pride.
“It brings me incredible joy to get ready, put on my makeup and get into the right mindset,” she said. “I really enjoy being out and about the way I am.”
Sister Pia, left, Sister Daphne, second right, and Sister Clementia of the German chapter OSPI of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, SPI, pose in front of the German parliament building the Reichstag Building during the first Drag March on the eve of the Pride Parade in Berlin, Germany, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Sister Clementia of the German chapter, OSPI, of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, SPI, enjoy the sun prior to the first Berlin Drag March on the eve of the Pride March in Berlin, Germany, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
From left, Sister Pia, Sister Clementia and Sister Daphne of the German chapter OSPI of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, SPI, arrive at a train station for the first Berlin Drag March on the eve of the Pride March in Berlin, Germany, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Sisters Pia, left, Sister Daphne, second right, and Sister Clementia, right, of the German chapter OSPI of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, SPI, attend the first Berlin Drag March on the eve of the Pride March in Berlin, Germany, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Sister Daphne of the German chapter OSPI of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (SPI) attends the first Drag March on the eve of the Pride March in Berlin, Germany, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
