If you like music, you're in for a treat.
For those willing to skip the beaten path of museums in Rome, there are plenty of options to discover, and one of them is the fascinating National Museum of Musical Instruments.
Located in a park hosting archeological remains, and almost hidden between the Museo della Fanteria and the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, this unsung museum hosts a surprising array of musical instruments from a wide range of historical periods, from all over the world.
The collection of more than 3000 instruments -many of them rare and precious- occupies the three floors of this large building, in carefully distributed exhibitions.
The ground floor is divided into three different exhibitions, the first of which occupies two interconnected rooms.
As soon as we come in, we are greeted by an Asian golden gong that invites us to try it.
This singular prelude illustrates the interactive and educational nature of this museum.
The interconnected rooms on the ground floor display a varied collections of musical instruments from all over the world arranged by geographical region, with special emphasis on African instruments (Sub-Saharan, North Africa, Lutes, The Mugam Trio, Instrumental ensembles, and water drumming).
South East Asia, Northern India, China, Japan, Central Asia and Himalayan region, Continental Europe and Great Britain, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, South America, and North America are all represented, with text descriptions available in Italian and English, as well as videos, and interactive activities that invite us to listen to sounds or create them.
From North African lutes to a Canadian cigar-box bass, this varied collection includes rare instruments (such as the Tar, Sarangi, and Morin khuur from the Himalayas, and the whistling vessel from South America), but also has some inexplicable omissions.
For instance, there is on display a Gajde from Serbia, but no Scottish, Galician, Irish, Portuguese, or French bagpipes, which would have created an interesting counterpart on how this ancient instrument has evolved in different regions of the planet.
Mouth harmonicas (a common instrument across many countries around the world) are also absent, as well as instruments from the Caribbean and Oceania.
Each of the instruments is labeled with its name, approximate location and year, but without any description about the materials used in their creation or, save specific examples, their sound, origin, or use.
In addition, certain terms -such as idiophone, clappers, aerophones- would require additional explanation for the non-expert public (many of them children), but these are not provided.
Along the displays, there are video screens and different looping music tracks, all playing at the same time.
Despite the excellent intention of providing aural examples, this can be overwhelming in such a small space and creates a cacophony that makes it hard to focus.
The exhibition on the ground floor continues with a separate room dedicated to Italian folk instruments, with a display of musical historical videos projected on the walls.
Interestingly, the collection of castagnetes displayed in this room are labeled as "Mediterranean", without specifying their origin.
The exit corridor of this room showcases an interesting collection of different Italian tambourines, one of which is displayed especially for the visiting public to test playing it.
The disposition of the displays and the resources available make the ground floor one mainly conceived for young visitors and schools.
The exhibition continues on the second floor, which counts with more ample rooms.
On this floor there is a small room dedicated to archeological instruments.
Cymbals, sistros, bells, corns and flutes made of terracota, metal and bone from Etruscan, Egyptian, Greek Roman and Roman origin are included in the collection, and share the room along small Classical sculptures and archeological finds related to music.
The other exhibition rooms on this floor focus on the display of Baroque instruments, such as lutes, flutes, harps, clavichords, spinets, and organs, each displayed in separate sections.
On this floor, we can also find two original works by the Flemish Caravaggesque artist Theodor Rombouts.
The large format oils "The Five Senses", and "The Tric Trac Game" serve as a fitting backdrop to the collection of instruments of the same period.
The Five Senses, oil by Theodor Rombouts.
The third floor contains the widest array of instruments in the collection, displaying a variety of orchestral instruments from different periods.
Starting with baroque instruments, the collection continues with an amazing number of instruments divided by room.
Violins, lutes, harps, harpsichords, pianofortes, organs, oboes, and diverse historical instruments -such as Serpentines- are all given special separate sections, with a special room dedicated to the Amati violin called "The Portuguese".
The selection concludes with a massive display of all the instruments that we can find in a steel band, displayed as in orchestral formation.
All the rooms count with interactive points on the floor to "activate" music by standing on them.
As one does so, music emerges from loudspeakers, allowing the visitor to experience the sound as well as seeing the physicality of the instrument in the room.
In addition, totems in all the rooms include the information about the piece in execution, as well as the performers, and the place of the recording, thus furthering the musical education of the audience.
Some rooms also offer interactive screens, in which the visitors can learn more about a specific instrument, what makes it unique or sets them apart from other instruments, with the chance to listen to its sound in chosen music tracks.
In addition, this floor hosts a dazzling exhibition of 30 electric basses from the Pablo Echaurren collection, along with an instrument specially designed by Echaurren, and an original painting by the artist made specifically for the museum.
One thing common to all instruments displayed in this museum is their beauty.
Visiting this collection sparks our admiration at human inventiveness throughout the centuries, to find sounds and create instruments that may not only be pleasing to the ear but also to the sight.
The museum's effort to keep the pieces in great condition is well apparent in all instruments, but in particular in the lute restoration done with the support of the
Fondazione Paola Droghetti and in collaboration with the department of Musicology and Cultural Heritage of the University of Pavia.
However, the museum deals with a problem akin to all sound displays in museums: how to contain it so that it does not disturb the visitors or compete with other sound displays.
Despite its limited budget, it is evident that much effort has been put into making the displays attractive, fresh, and accessible to all types of public, particularly the youngest.
The museum has a strong focus on accessibility, with plenty of descriptions in braille and sign language, and with all floors being fully accessible for people with motor disabilities.
In addition, the museum also offers guided tours -previous appointment required- and a calendar of concerts.
Displaying a collection of all the musical instruments available in the world up to the present is almost an impossible undertaking, but the National Museum of Musical Instruments does a great job at presenting a vast array of them, across centuries and world locations.
Despite its weaknesses and omissions, the National Museum of Musical Instruments in Rome is an exciting museum to discover and experience, one that is bound to engage and surprise visitors of every age.
More Information
Venue: Museo Nazionali degli Instrumenti Musicali
Location: Piazza di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme 9a, Roma. Nearest subway station: Lodi (A line)
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 9:30 am to 7:30 pm. Mondays closed.
Cost: € 6,00 general public. € 2,00 concessions. Free entrance the first Sunday of every month.
More information: https://direzionemuseiroma.cultura.gov.it//museo-nazionale-degli-strumenti-musicali/
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