Castello del Buonconsiglio opens “The Power of Music” exhibition

The Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento has inaugurated “The Power of Music: Art, Courts, and Instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque,” an exhibition exploring the role of music in Western figurative culture between the 15th and 17th centuries.

Curated by museum director Cristina Collettini, the event serves as the official cultural launch for the upcoming celebrations of the Millennium of the Prince-Bishopric of Trento in 2027. The exhibition examines music as a tool for intellectual representation and the symbolic construction of power within court life.

A central feature of the display is the “Trento Musical Codices,” a collection of 15th-century handwritten musical manuscripts from the Trento Cathedral, considered one of the most important collections of its kind in Europe. The exhibition design utilizes innovative panels shaped like musical scores, including musical notes and clefs.

In addition to the main castle, the exhibition extends to peripheral museum sites including Castel Valer, Castel Thun, and Palazzo Taddei in Ala. Interactive elements allow visitors to play clavichords and record music, facilitated by a collaboration with the Smarano Academy.