Until December 2025, visitors to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City can experience The Silent Echoes of a Great Sound Sculpture, an immersive sound installation by the pioneering American artist Bill Fontana. Curated by Umberto Vattani and Valentino Catricalà, the work captures and transforms the imperceptible vibrations of the Basilica’s monumental Campanone bell into a living symphony of resonance and silence.
Reimagining silence through sound sculpture
Using next-generation sensors and a refined twelve-speaker system, Fontana’s sound sculpture amplifies what the human ear cannot hear — the constant, subtle tremors of the Campanone, which traditionally rings only on the most sacred occasions. The result is a meditative soundscape that merges technology, spirituality, and art into a singular sensory experience.
Supported by the Dicastery for Culture and Education and promoted by Venice International University with the collaboration of Enel, Gruppo FS Italiane, and Meyer Sound, the project represents a world first: a contemporary artwork permanently installed in the portico of St. Peter’s Basilica.
An immersive sound installation as a message of peace
Bill Fontana, long recognized as a pioneer of sound art, has spent decades transforming the unseen vibrations of the world into compositions that evoke reflection and connection. For this immersive sound installation, created in partnership with IRCAM in Paris, Fontana turns silence into a universal language — one that bridges faith, art, and humanity.
Echoing through the marble halls of St. Peter’s, the Campanone’s “mute” voice becomes a symbol of dialogue and unity. As visitors pass through the Basilica’s portico, they are enveloped in a serene harmony that invites contemplation — a gesture toward peace and brotherhood for the Jubilee 2025.
The Silent Echoes of a Great Sound Sculpture is on view at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, from February 16 to December 31, 2025. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to listen to the silence that speaks.
Images courtesy of BILL FONTANA
