Raffaello's Music Comes Alive in Pesaro's Sonosfera

The Sonosfera, a patented mobile amphitheater for deep listening, reopened in Pesaro with the project 'Divin Pittore. Raffaello in Sonosfera®', exploring the sound and music hidden within Raphael's frescoes. Curated by David Monacchi and Simone Sorini, the experience centers on the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican, painted between 1508 and 1511, featuring works like the School of Athens. The room is reconstructed on a 360° circular projection screen, with 45 speakers arranged in a geodesic shape for 3D audio and 24k video. Historical music is performed by an ensemble specializing in early 16th-century repertoire, using instruments like the lira da braccio, Athenian lyre, Roman cithara, and archaic flute. Electronic music, composed from geometric and mathematical elements in the frescoes, is also included. The project was conceived for Pesaro's bid as Italian Capital of Culture 2024. The Sonosfera opened in early 2020 but was delayed by the pandemic. The initiative offers an interdisciplinary perspective on one of the masterpieces of Italian art history.