Madonna is celebrating her 66th birthday after suffering a significant health scare earlier this year. The Queen of Pop had reportedly organized a lavish party for 500 guests at a Roman amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy. Heritage groups were furious at the prospect of a celebrity party at the 2,200-year-old archeological site, but the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, which maintains the site, reassured them that the rumors were baseless.
In a press statement, the organization said reports that Madonna would entertain guests there were “unfounded.” Nevertheless, the story made headlines across Italy, notably when the national newspaper La Repubblica quoted Pompeii’s Mayor Carmine Lo Sapio as saying, “We are ready to welcome the singer.”
Michigan-born Madonna, who is of Italian heritage, was hospitalized last year and placed in a medically induced coma when she contracted a bacterial infection that threatened critical organ function. Friends have told reporters that she has since embraced a new and more positive approach to life and treasures every moment.
As part of her celebration of life, the star held a free concert on a Rio de Janeiro beach in May, attended by 1.6 million people—more than ten times her previous record 130,000-strong audience, which she set in Paris in 1987.
In Rio, the singer performed classic hits from her four-decade-long career and described the setting as “the most beautiful place in the world.” She also paid tribute to AIDS sufferers and displayed images of several of its victims while singing her 1980s hit “Live To Tell.” The concert was overlooked by the city’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue and surrounded by mountains and the ocean. Eighteen sound towers were placed along the beach to bring the concert to as many people as possible, and officials said the event generated more than $50 million for the local economy.
Additionally, Rio’s international airport scheduled extra flights as people traveled from across South America to see the singer. Alessandro Augusto, who flew from Brazil, said, “It’s a unique opportunity to see Madonna, who knows if she’ll ever come back.”