Roma Eterna: A Journey Back in Time is a musical tour. An expedition that travels backwards, from today to the Renaissance – is to reconstruct the overarching strands that comprise and unite five centuries of music of a “Roman school” famed for its contrapuntal rigor, melodic flair and popular roots.

The label “romano”, which many a musician of bygone eras proudly displayed after their name, is a sure sign of belonging to a school, to a special style. The backdrop for this excursion back in time is Rome, which in this same Jubilee Year of 2025 is the destination for millions of pilgrims on the march from every part of the world, each with their own history and culture. And the various stops on the journey present the music of the eternal city, a music that – no matter whether sacred or secular or whatever the type of work – is as capable today as then of moving, delighting and nourishing the soul of any human being.

After exploring the personality of Giovanni Zamboni (L’ultimo romano, 2016) and the refinements of the French repertoire (Méditation, 2022), in this, his third solo album for Arcana, Simone Vallerotonda engages with contemporary and ancient music, broadening the horizons of the lute with a confidence and sense of novelty that fascinate and surprise.

Simone Vallerotonda, Lute