Exploring the soundscape and the atmosphere of the Gigli di Nola cultural festival in Italy

Abstract

The GiglidiNola is an Italian folk ceremony featuring a shoulder-borne procession celebrating the feast of Saint Paulinus. Despite its cultural significance as a UNESCO site, the soundscape and atmosphere of the festival has scarcely been explored. This study examines how the physical and spatial arrangement of Nola shapes the enactment of the festival's soundscape, atmosphere, and behavior of its participants. It further investigates how the rhythmic qualities of the music are related to bearers' spatial maneuvers and to non-bearers’ participation in the festival. Through the use of rhythmanalysis and a mixed method approach, the results reveal the festival to be deeply connected to Nola's urban fabric and community life. The spatial arrangement of the historic streets with their nodes and boundaries, forge body–space relationships that indicates place, people, and music, are interconnected in the Gigli festival. The soundscape dominates the atmosphere of the festival, which in turn affects non-bearers and bearers' behavior. These rhythmic qualities also guide the parading of the Gigli festival for its participants. We conclude by pointing to a lively view of culture to promote UNESCO's management of cultural festivals.