Marco Rèa's mural of Maria Callas unveiled at Bar Necci in Rome's Pigneto district

A new mural by street artist Marco Rèa depicting opera singer Maria Callas has been installed on the facade of a former car repair shop opposite Bar Necci in the Pigneto district of Rome. The work, titled 'Tu sei come una pietra preziosa,' references a letter from filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini to Callas, whom he directed in the 1969 film 'Medea.' The mural was commissioned by Massimo Innocenti and Agathe Jaubourg, owners of Bar Necci, who are transforming the disused space into a neighborhood bakery and artisan hub. The project coincides with the exhibition 'Finding Rèa' (September 19–25, 2022) in the nearby hypogeum beneath Bar Necci, featuring photographs by Matteo Casilli documenting the mural's creation. The hypogeum, originally a pozzolana quarry from the 1st century BC, later used as a stable, wine cellar, and WWII air-raid shelter, was rediscovered in 2020 and opened to the public in 2021. The mural and exhibition celebrate the relationship between Pasolini and Callas, as well as the cultural identity of Pigneto.