A Long Anticipated Journey to Grotta Sonora

“The little space within the heart is as great as the vast universe. The heavens and the earth are there, and the sun and the moon and the stars. Fire and lightening and winds are there, and all that now is and all that is not.”

-Swami Prabhavananda

Some ideas simmer quietly for months, this one started the moment my magpie mind glimpsed the mesmerising visual designs of Grotta Sonora’s gongs. I didn’t know much at first, just that they were made in Italy, by hand, in a cave. That was enough to spark my desire to visit.

In true Pasquale style, I floated the idea, and without hesitation, he jumped on board, no questions, just a full hearted yes. Although we didn’t go straight away, we tucked it away as something special… and finally made the trip for my birthday.

To be fair, Pasquale doesn’t need much pushing when it comes to anything music related. So an eight hour round trip to visit a cave where gongs are made? He was all in, with bells on.

Meeting the Makers

What we didn’t anticipate was meeting Margherita and Madhava, two extraordinary humans who felt like old friends almost immediately. Artists, musicians, space holders… they welcomed us not just into their cave, but into their energy. Their warmth, generosity and presence were humbling. It was the kind of meeting that nourishes you on a soul level.

They don’t just make gongs, they live and breathe them. Each one is a handcrafted sound sculpture, infused with intention, intuition and experimentation.

The Origins of Grotta Sonora

The Grotta Sonora project began when their first instruments were created inside an ancient Etruscan origin cave in Calcata, a historic village in the Treja Valley just outside Rome. They quickly realised the cave was the perfect acoustic space for these new instruments, and so Grotta Sonora was born.

The harmony between the instruments and the cave created something magical: an interactive gallery, a living, resonant space where sound, stone and hearts speak to each other.

A Journey Through Sound

Being there stirred something ancient in me. Upon arriving, I felt a sudden emotional upsurge, all the anticipation and dreaming of this place over flowed, walking down a winding path to discover an open door into a rock face, with smiling humans inviting us in. My heart swelled and tears came to my eyes as we were welcomed in by Margherita & Dorthea and introduced to Madhava.

We were invited to lie down and settle into the stillness of the cave. Madhava played an instrument that’s almost impossible to describe, Pasquale called it a “cosmic cello”! Its resonant coils and strings conjured sounds that felt both otherworldly and oddly nostalgic, like echoes from my old raving days, yet softer, soothing, and playful.

Layered with gongs by Dorthea and the ethereal voice of Margherita, the experience was grounding and transcendent all at once, and totally unexpected!

But the magic didn’t stop there.

We moved to another area of the cave to discover the next soundscape: a collaboration of the largest gong in the space which with the most gentle stroke of the Flumie produced the deepest penetrating sounds and Grotta Sonora’s extraordinary Leaf, a one-string cello-like sculpture made of golden steel and engraved with delicate veins… Played with a bow in one hand while the other hand alters the pitch along the string, the instrument comes alive when the base is gently flexed, creating a shimmering vibrato. Its reverberation is rich and deep, with a metallic resonance that’s almost electronic, a perfect fusion of sonic and visual art

Next came the Harp Gong, another Grotta Sonora original, a hybrid instrument developed over years of experimentation. Here, the gong itself becomes the resonant body for harp strings. Each string can be tuned individually, but to produce its most magical overtones, the scale must match the fundamental pitch of the gong. The result is a mesmerising blend of tones that shimmer and swell, like ripples in a still pool of sound.

To my delight I turned to hear Madhava who had moved and was playing a kind of flute digeridoo and drum. Their talent for creating a concert of joy is just incredible.

After some chatting and more laughter, we arrived at the final experience, and what felt like the chef’s kiss. We were invited to be “cooked” inside the giant gong bowl while Margherita made it sing around us. The cooked reference had me in stitches as I have been cooked in many ways in my life time but inside a singing bowl in a cave was certainly a new one for me!

The sensation was beyond words: my whole energy felt as if it were swirling up from my tailbone like a rising kundalini serpent, powerful, luminous, alive. My inner vision was filled with circling images as the vibrations moved up and out through the crown of my head.

Beyond Sound: A Devotional Offering

There’s something about sound that moves what words cannot. It draws out the unspeakable, brings what’s unprocessed into the light. It uplifts, it releases it touches parts of us that have been buried deep. It’s a primordial vibration, a direct line to the source.

It’s not just listening. It’s a conversation. A transmission. A loop where the giver sends to the receiver and receives at the same time.

We didn’t see them making the gongs, but they spoke to us about the process, and it felt like being let in on something sacred. They talked about the alchemy of metal, the sweat, the fire, the surrender. The way the work is messy and hard full of grit, to produce the sweetest sound and harmonies. They spoke of allowing the sounds to emerge, rather than forcing them. They’re experimental and not afraid to be playful and innovative, all while drawing from ancient tradition.

It’s clear that the relationship between Margherita and Madhava is part of that alchemy too, their dynamic is woven into the instruments, the space, the sound, and their personal energetic offering. A kind of creative and devotional partnership that holds and shapes what they bring into the world.

It’s not just a workshop. It’s a practice. A co creation with the elements and each other.

Final Reflections

This experience was moving, playful, ancient, innovative and completely unexpected. It reminded me of the kind of beauty that comes when art is birthed from deep connection and fearless exploration.

Grotta Sonora isn’t just a place or a brand. It’s a living, breathing testament to what happens when creativity, innovation, sound, and love collide in a cave.

“In the centre of the heart, there is a small shrine shaped like a lotus flower.

Within it dwells the Supreme, and that, indeed, is the whole universe.

It is smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest.”

— Chandogya Upanishad 8.1.1

Thank you my Love, Fafi for sharing this incredible experience with me and making it possible.

Curious?

You can explore their handcrafted gongs and instruments here:

🌐 grottasonora.com

Watch here to see their Gongmatic Project

Mini Documentary