"Littanie con la Salve a doi chori": Paolo V e la musica nella cappella Borghese

Among the extraordinary undertakings carried out by Paul V, the Borghese chapel in Santa Maria Maggiore is probably the one which, more than the others, reflects the most intimate aspects of his personality. The pope had it built immediately at the beginning of his pontificate, between 1605 and 1610, and endowed it with economic resources so that every Saturday the solemn devotion of the Salve was celebrated with the participation of a permanent music chapel made up of eight singers, an organist and a maestro. The article reconsiders the establishment of the music chapel in the light of Paul V's relationship with music. Furthermore, some hypotheses are presented about the repertoire of the chapel in the early years of its history.