Among clavichords, harpsichords, organs, harpsichords, spinets and pianos – all perfectly functioning and many finely decorated – the extraordinary Tagliavini Collection, a unique project at an international level. In this context, we have created a museum installation aimed at removing physical, cognitive and sensorial barriers.
The renewal of San Colombano is based on a vision of an accessible and inclusive museum, capable of welcoming and involving a heterogeneous public. A central role was played by the project Patrimonio Sonoro No Limits, selected within the scope of the public notice of the Ministry of Culture for the removal of barriers in places of culture and financed with funds from the PNRR.
The new museum layout was developed in collaboration with theFrancesco Cavazza Institute for the Blind and the architect Fabio Fornasari. The intervention included the introduction of explanatory panels, optimized captions, maps and tactile cards, designed to facilitate the use of the museum's artistic and architectural heritage.
A new mobile application has also been created, San Colombano, designed to offer an interactive journey with audio and text content. The App allows you to listen to the sounds of the instruments in the collection through traditional or bone conduction headphones, the latter being particularly suitable for people with visual impairments and hearing impairments.
To enrich the tactile experience, three 3D-printed models of ancient instruments were created, while the specialized restorer Graziano Bandini created two wooden models of mechanics: one of a harpsichord and one of a piano. These allow us to understand the different ways of producing sound: the plucking of the strings in the harpsichord and the percussion in the piano.
Among the main innovations, the development of an augmented keyboard, created in collaboration with the Department of Engineering of the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna. This interactive device allows visitors to digitally select the sound of historical instruments and reproduce it through a playable keyboard.
Finally, the intervention involved the reconfiguration of the lower part of the architectural frame of the altarpiece of the chapel of the Madonna dell’Orazione.
