Where Faith meets Art: a unique and inspiring experience
A journey through the human soul to discover the many ways in which spirituality has been expressed over the centuries: through transcendent music and unparalleled art.
An intimate group of guests will have a chance to enter the ancient Hall of Rome’s Capuchin Convent and be enraptured by the voices of the Schola Romana Ensemble. The singers will intone timeless Gregorian chants and the soulful hymns by Palestrina and many more of the masters of the Sistine Chapel.
To complete this unique experience, guests will unveil the history behind the Order of the Friars Minor with a tour of the Capuchin Museum and admire Caravaggio’s masterpiece, “Saint Francis in Meditation”. Lastly, they will step into the awe-inspiring Crypts: five rooms decorated with the bones of 4000 Capuchin friars who inhabited the Convent since the 17th century.
Their intriguing symbolism and the deep reflection they inspire will make for a spiritual afternoon never to be forgotten.
Duration: 80 min
Venue: Capuchin Museum and Convent • Via Vittorio Veneto 21, Rome
Capuchin Museum and Convent
Santa Maria Immacolata is the Capuchins church in Rome, built by Pope Urbano VIII Barberini (XVII c.) close to Piazza Barberini, in Via Veneto, one of the most famous streets of Rome, set of the film La dolce vita, by Federico Fellini.
Inside the church, you can see masterpieces by Guido Reni (S. Michele Arcangelo), Domenichino, Pietro da Cortona, Gherardo delle notti, Antonio Sacchi and others. The shocking Crypt-museum is decorated with 4.000 bones of friars. Here you can find also a masterpiece of Caravaggio: La meditazione di S. Francesco.
Program
Music by composers of the Sistine Chapel
Gregoriano: Stabant juxta crucem
Cristobàl de Morales: Peccantem me
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Kyrie (Missa Brevis)
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Sicut cervus
Jakob Arcadelt: Ave Maria
Tomàs Luìs de Victoria: Pueri hebraehorum
Giacomo Carissimi: O Felix anima
Agostino Agazzari: Benedicta sit Sancta Trinitas
Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni: Laudate Dominum
SCHOLA ROMANA ENSEMBLE
Paola Alonzi, Soprano
Micaela Parrilla, Alto
Marco Ciardo, Tenor
Stefano Sabene, Bass & Conductor
What's included
Ticket € 78 that includes:
• Entrance ticket to the Museum
• Concert “A Cappella” in the specially reserved ancient Hall of the Capuchins Convent
• Ensemble: soprano, contralto, tenor, bass
• Introduction in English to the musical program
• Audio-guided tour of the of the Capuchins Museum and the Crypt (13 languages)
"This was one of our top activities in Rome. The concert was excellent. All 4 singers had amazingly strong voices. We booked directly with Roma Opera Omnia. The communication was excellent on the part of Paola (who is also one of the singers). The crypt itself was truly astonishing. Creepily beautiful.
"We wanted a unique experience for my husband’s birthday. This was recommended and we were not disappointed. The Capuchin museum and crypt were very interesting but the a Capella baroque music was exceptional.
"One of a kind experience! The musical performance is lovely and the crypt is something else. Highly recommend for a more off the beaten path experience in Rome.
"Wow...Beautiful voices in an intimate setting followed by tour of the Capuchin Crypt. Completely recommend this opportunity or anywhere else this ensemble appears.
"The a cappella concert of early music at the Capuchin Crypt was a highlight of my week in Rome. The space was intimate, with ethereal acoustics, and the quartet of vacalists was superb. A haunting and memorable experience. And a very personal one—it felt quite non-commercial. The same person who responded to my email when I booked the concert was also the person who welcomed me to the Capuchin museum, as well as one of the four singers in the concert. I cannot recommend this event highly enough for anyone who loves early music.