The Castel Sant'Angelo is revered by Roman Catholics around the world. Built on the bank of the Tiber River in Rome about 135 A.D., it was later the site of a key event in early Catholicism.
Pope Gregory the Great, hoping to end a catastrophic plague by leading a procession in the area, reported a vision of the archangel Michael returning a sword to its sheath. He took this as a sign the plague was over.
The site would become a retreat for popes during the Middle Ages. Pope Nicholas III had a fortified passageway constructed directly from the Vatican.
This collection of seven field recordings from Carlo Giustini were all recorded in the neighbourhood of Sant'Angelo via microcassette recorder, clip-on microphone and a reel-to-reel. Despite its coarsely ambient feel, there isn't a single traditional music instrument on the album.
His portrayal of the picturesque Sant'Angelo is striking. Towns with long histories offer a unique mix of old and new sounds. Giustini places them side by side to portray an ancient place that modern-day people call home.
Giustini's take on that theme – and this place in particular – is entirely absorbing.