Rome

As to the topography of ancient Roman music one has to make do with ruined temples and theatres or museum pieces - images of music making people, relics of instruments, gravestones of forgotten musicians (they can be found indeed wherever the Romans once ruled).

From the Christian era there is a tangible memorial of Gregory the Great, but the then hot-spot of the beginning of European music culture, the Lateran premises of the first Schola of paraphonistae, has disappeared. In fact our topography dates not further back than to the 16^th century; from that time on the music history is amply represented in churches, oratories, colleges, palaces, theatres, museums, archives and traces of individual musicians.

Palestrina was a chorister in 1537 and maestro di cappella between 1561 and '71 of the Capella Liberiana, A. Scarlatti 1707-'09.  Graves of the composers Quagliati †1628 and Soriano †1621.

Built in 1880 as 'Teatro Costanzi',  since 1926 owned by the municipality and Rome's main opera theatre. Renovated in 1926 and 1946. 1600 seats.

Built in 1925 as 'Supercinema' with 2500 seats, since the 1990s concert hall and second opera theatre of Rome.

 'From this window Verdi beheld the cheering crowd after the première of Falstaff' (1893). He used an inner passageway to the Costanzi theatre.

Apartment of Respighi; Aleksandr Gretchaninov, Andres Segovia and Willem Mengelberg were among his guests.

Successor since 1798 of the Institutum Germanicum-Ungaricum, > 8069

Operas and other 'azzioni musicali' were performed in the 17^th century; Michelangelo Rossi worked here - The adjacent theatre for 3000 spectators was demolished.

Archangelo Corelli lived on the corner of piazza Barberini and via Sistina; this one is the most plausible.

Liszt lived on this address from around 1860; rebuilt - In the same street many writers and artists lived (Piranesi, Gogol, Thorwaldsen, Andersen)

Wedding church of A. Scarlatti (1678) - Grave of Michelangelo Rossi, †1656 (unmarked) - Liszt often prayed at the altar of his patron saint S. Giovanni a Paolo (cf. François de Paule marchant sur les flots, 1863).

Residence of Polish queen Casimira; in the palace theatre, D. Scarlatti worked between 1710 and '14  -  Later on, Felix Mendelssohn's uncle Jacob Salomon Bartholdi lived here.

Prix de Romelaureates who lived here include Berlioz, Gounod, Thomas, Bizet, G. Charpentier, Debussy, Ravel, Schmitt, Pierné, Rabaud, Caplet, N. & L. Boulanger, Ibert (director in 1937).

Established in 1760, meeting point of writers, artists and musicians in the 19^th century: among them Rossini, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Wagner, Grieg and the Prix de Romelaureates. Various memorabilia.

House of the pianist and composer Giovanni Sgambati (1841-1914). Liszt taught here weekly ('Scuola Romana di Liszt')

Felix Mendelssohn stayed here in 1830-31. He criticised the musical life of Rome as mediocre.

Busts of various composers - left: Mercadante, Puccini, Palestrina, Sgambati, Donizetti - right: Verdi, Perosi, Rossini, Bellini. Also Cimarosa and Guido d'Arezzo.  Monteverdi and barock composers are lacking!

The composer Gioffredo Petrassi (1904-2003) lived in an apartment of this building.

The Conservatorio was established in 1876, proceeded from a Liceo Musicale, and occupies the former Convento delle Orsoline. A concert hall was added in 1895. Very important library.

Originally the mausoleum of Augustus and other emperors, after that used for various purposes and from 1908 the concert hall of the Orchestra dell'Accademia di S. Cecilia. Mussolini ended this 'desacration of a national monument' in 1936. The orchestra moved provisionally to the Teatro Adriano. / to other venues.

Pietro Mascagni spent his last years in a small room of hotel Plaza and died in 1945.  

Residence of Francesco Maria Ruspoli; Händel and Caldara were in his service. Since 1990 an art museum. 

Graves of Luca Marenzio †1599, Bernardo Pasquini †1710, Josef Mysliveček †1781 - The adjacent oratorio (at Via Belsiana) was the seat of the 'Società Bach' at the end of the 19^th century.

Bernardo Pasquini (1637-1710} lived and worked here from 1670 - Now the culture centre 'Cembalo Borghese' (the building has the shape of a harpsichord) with concert hall.

Mozart stayed here in the Palazzo Scatizzi on 14.IV-8.V and 26.VI-10.VII 1770. This most important trace of Mozart in Rome was demolished.

Verdi stayed here in 1859 on occasion of the FP of Il ballo in maschera.

Grave of Giacomo Carissimi, †1674. He had worked in the annex building, until 1798 the Institutum Germanicum-Ungaricum, focusing on anti-protestant music teaching. -  Mozart visited the institute on 11.IV.1770.

Church for the people from Germany and the low countries. Christiaan van den Ameyden (1530s-1605), singer in the papal chapel, was buried here.

Seat of the still famous Schola Cantorum, founded in 1869 by pope Pius IX.

Location of the Teatro Tordinona (1670), later Teatro Apollo, demolished in 1889 for heightening the Tiber bank - The monument refers to Verdi premières.

Home of the Pifferi di Castello, town musicians in the Middle Ages - Concert hall for chamber music - Here Act III of Puccini's Tosca takes place; for more Tosca locations see > 8115 and 8131

Between 1958 and 2002 the main concert hall of the orchestra of the Accademia di S. Cecilia.

Grave of the composer Costanzo Festa (c1490-1545).

Palestrina, V. Mazzocchi, Pasquini, Frescobaldi, Benevoli, D. Scarlatti, Jommelli a.o. worked here - Palestrina was buried under the floor of St. Peter's, but the exact location is unknown.

Since the end of the 15^th century, the singers of the Cappella Pontificiaappeared here (no instruments) - Van Weerbeke, Josquin, Anerio, Allegri, later Baini, Perosi were maestri di cappella - visit by Mozart on 11.IV.1770 (notation of Allegri's Miserere on hearing!).

Very rich collection of church music from the 11^th century onwards. 

Houses since 1926 an ethnological collection, including ca. thousand musical instruments. 

Palestrina lived in the preceding building behind the present fuel station.

Grave of the composer Orazio Benevoli (1605-1672)

Palace of cardinal Mauricio di Savoia; Luca Marenzio lived here, Sigismondo d'India and Michelangelo Rossi were active here too.

House of Filippo Neri and actual seat of the Oratoriani - The important library was moved to the Conservatorio.

Graves of Filippo Neri †1595, Stefano Landi †1639, Gregorio Allegri †1652; common grave of other members of Sixtine Chapel, among which the last castrate Allessandro Moreschi †1922.

Second oratory of Filippo Neri from 1575; cradle of the oratorio volgare.In the Aula Borrominiana are concerts today of sacred pop music! - Outside is a monument of the libretto poet Metastasio.

Seat of the Arciconfraternità del Gonfalone from 1544 - concerts of ancient music by the Coro Polifonico Romano  - 18^th century. positive organ.

Essercizi spirituali with the singing of Laude sprituali were organised by the religious leader Filippo Neri (1515-1595) and the composer Giovanni Animuccia from 1554. Neri was canonized in 1622.

Birthplace of the famous librettist of innumerable operas, Pietro Metastasio (Pietro Trapassi, 1698-1782).

Here Act II of Puccini's Tosca takes place - today the embassy of France. Mozart visited this palace.

Many opera and music performances during the 17^th and 18^th century. Corelli lived and worked here between 1690 and 1712 in the service of cardinal Ottoboni - The harpsichord contest Händel-Scarlatti took place here in 1709.

Rossini stayed here in 1816 for the FP of Barbiere di Seviglia, then entitled Almaviva, ossia l'inutile precauzione. This performance recieved catcalls...

Corelli might have worked here between 1684 and 1690 and from 1690 also lived here, but more probably this occurred at the other Pamphilj palace, > 8143.  -  Today Brasilian embassy

French national church. Luigi Rossi was the organist from 1633 until his death in 1653, often interrupted by travels to France. - Library.

Grave of Arcangelo Corelli, †1713 (first chapel left) - Seat of the first guild of musicians, 1566, and the Congrgazione di Santa Cecilia unto 1685.

 Pietro Mascagni stayed in the Albergo Augurale in 1891, on the threshold of his breakthrough. 

Built in 1821. Verdi's patriotic operas were favourite. Since the end of the 19^th century only spoken drama.

Act I of Puccini's Tosca takes place In the first chapel left (Cappella Calvini).

Built in 1732. Appearances by Gluck, Paganini, Liszt, Rossini (FP Barbiere di Seviglia > ), Verdi (FP Foscari and Legnano) - Concert hall (Accademia di S. Cecilia, 1946-'58) - Museum

From 1685 the seat of the Congregazione di S. Cecilia, established in 1585 in the Pantheon and the forerunner of the Accademia di S.Cecilia - S. Cecilia chapel.

Birthplace of the nobleman and interesting composer Roffredo Caetani (1871-1961), a pupil of Liszt.

Discoteca di Stato, establihed in 1928. Large collection of gramophone records, CDs and other playback devices. Also museum of sound reproduction devices.

Music School during the 16^th and 17^th century. Palestrina, Luis da Victoria and Athanasius Kircher were active here.  - (In this building also the notorious Galilei process took place)

Corelli worked here between 1684 and 1690 and from 1690 also lived here 1687-90. Possibly this occurred at the other Pamphilj palace, > 8121.  -  Today art museum 

Unmarked grave of the composer Luigi Rossi (c1597-1653). The composer Domenico Massenzio (1585-1657) was buried in a collective grave of 'benefiziati'.

The composer Domenico Mazzocchi (1592-1665) lived here by courtesy of the Aldobrandini family.

Tradition of oratorium latinum by Giacomo Carissimi. FP of Rappresentazione di Anima e di corpo ... per recitar cantando (1600), the first play entirely set to music.

Here former opera theatres Quirino (1891, Mascagni and Verdi), and Quirinetto (1927) in cellar, for modern opera

Donizetti stayed here in 1833; FP's in Teatro Valle of Il furioso all'isola di San Domingo and Torquato Tasso. Plaque from 1876.

Behind the Trevi fountain. Former concert hall of the Società Orchestrale Romana from 1874; performances of the Dante Symphony and Christus by Liszt - Now deprived of the original wainscoting

Grave of the great composer Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643). Plaque in the portico.

Händel lived here in 1707-08; Corelli and Caldara were active here too.

Grave (no tombstone) of the composer Domenico Alberti (c1710-1740). Broken triads (such as c-g-e-g), frequently used by him, are called 'Alberti bass'. 

Monumental grave monument of the composer Emilio de' Cavalieri (c1550-1602).

The famous composer of ca. 500 movie soundtracks, Ennio Morricone (1928-2020) lived here.

House of the composer Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988) with various instruments following unconvential tone systems.

From 1250 celebrations with laude sprituali and liturgical drama; Passion plays from c1490 by the Gonfalone brotherhood, forbidden from 1539.

Built on the house of Pope Gregory I (ca. 600), the founder of what is later called the 'Schola Cantorum'; his name lives on in 'gregorian chant'. His cell and seat have been preserved. 

Venue of spectacular opera productions since 1937, until archeologists put a stopper on it in 1993. Since 2001 put on again with summertime performances which not affect the vulnerable site.

Centre of the Roman church until 1305 and first Schola Cantorum; from the original buildings only the baptistery suvived - Lassus was Maestro di cappella in the present church (1541-48 and 1555-61). Händel aroused enthousiasm with organ phantasies in 1708.

National museum of musical instruments in former barracks ; the very extensive collection includes the first pianoforte, by Cristofori 1722.

Graves of the composers Giovanni Sgambati †1914 and Alfredo Casella †1947; cenotaph of Pietro Mascagni †1945 (his mortal remains moved to Livorno).

Last residence of the composer Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968) from 1936.

Three new concert halls of the Accademia di S. Cecilia; completed in 2002 after 66 years of planning; architect Renzo Piano. Famous library and collection of instruments, formerly in the Conservatorio.

Theatre for ballet and musical and concert hall of the Accademia Filarmonica

Concert hall of the broadcast corporation RAI.

Last residence of the composer Alfredo Casella (1882-1947) from 1926.

Liszt lived in this Lazarist convent in the 1860s. During this stay his ordination (lower grade) and appearance before pope Pius IX took place. Completion of Christus (1867)

Last residence of Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) from 1930 - memorial tablet inside, with citation by d'Annunzio.  Today a hotel.

Leading training-college for church musicians.

Residence of ex-queen Christina of Sweden 1663-89 - A. Scarlatti presented operas, Corelli and Pasquini concerts; Corelli's Triosonaten op. 1 were dedicated to Christina. 

 'Street art' painting near the birthplace of the film composer Ennio Morricone (1928-2020). He was born in Via San Francesco a Ripa, house number not known.

The church was built in the 9^th century  above the former house of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. Her mortal remains, found were found in

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Collection of folk instruments

Collection of ethnic instruments