Monumenti sonori

An unprecedented narration of some of the most evocative places in the city, six open-air itineraries in which music intertwines with history, art and architecture to give voice to “silent witnesses” of ancient memories, past and present lives, revealing their details and settings through sound.

“Every place tells a story” is the motto of the Monumenti Sonori project, an initiative conceived by the Cultural Department of Roma Capitale in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Activities, the Capitoline Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, with the organizational coordination of Zètema Progetto Cultura. The artistic project is by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, assisted by the Centro Ricerche Musicali - CRM.

The project kicks off at the Portico d’Ottavia. Here, a sound backdrop, created with hidden loudspeakers arranged in such a way as to enhance the differences in timbre of the chosen pieces and offer varied listening during the visit, resonates the volumes and spaces adjacent to the walkway. A holographic sound projector designed by CRM highlights the pedestrian crossing section. The experience can be enjoyed free of charge every day, from 11 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 6 pm. It is accompanied by musical excerpts, including historical recordings of Tosca by Puccini; Pini di Roma, Feste romane and Fontane di Roma by Respighi; Andrea Morricone’s Love Theme (part of the soundtrack of Nuovo Cinema Paradiso); and some music by Ennio Morricone from the film Mission.

Subsequent stages will be unveiled over the next few months and will involve five more monuments in various parts of the city, from Flaminio to Magliana, with programming running through November 2025. Each monument will be equipped with a local control system connected to a remote digital system, which will receive musical data from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

Monumenti Sonori is part of Action 4, “Tourist Enhancement through Cinema,” of the Rome Smart Tourism project. The intervention also includes four new tourist-cinematic itineraries by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, accessible through the new Rome City of Film app, to discover the places where memorable scenes from the silver screen were filmed. Along the itineraries, it will be possible to encounter one or more Monumenti Sonori.