The place-making function of ritual movement in Roman religion

Ritual movement, that is movement of individuals or groups on a more or less fixed route for religious causes or purposes (e.g. processions), always played a major role in the religious life of the Romans.

Nevertheless, not enough attention has been paid so far to its fundamental place-making role: RITMO aims to investigate the impact and consequences of the continued performance of ritual movement on the cultural, social and physical creation of religious places, thus of collective identity and memory, in ancient Rome (8th cent.

BCE – 5th cent. CE).

RITMO will explore some key case studies of ritual movement in Roman religion, as the Salian rituals, the transvectio equitum, the Argei, as well as four women festivals (Matralia, Nonae Caprotinae, Nemoralia and the procession of 207 BCE), in order to better understand how such rituals shaped (and were shaped by) emotions, identity and memory processes – during and after the ritual performance – by finally becoming embedded in Rome’s sacred landscape.The project will then compare these case studies with more studied examples of ritual movements in Roman religion (e.g. the Lupercalia and the pompa circensis), and finally with a ritual movement still performed every year in Rome, the procession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Close observation of a ritual movement still ‘in the making’ can further put RITMO’s results to the test.Comparison, spatiality and an inter/multidisciplinary approach will significantly enhance the understanding of such an important kind of ritual performance in ancient Rome.

Moreover, as ritual movement is still practiced and is part of the cultural heritage of many countries, by delving into the significance of such phenomenon starting as from Antiquity, it will be easier to understand its semantics and meanings in contemporary society, and how it can still promote identity and belonging and foster social cohesion.