Galenospheres of Milano. Silence as Cultural Practice

The dataset encompasses the outcomes of ethnographic research conducted in Milan. The aim was to document representative places of silence and tranquility in Milan's urban space (the so-called "galenospheres"). The research revealed that residents of Milan create and choose galenospheres based on the city/culture/noise versus countryside/nature/silence/tranquility relationship. Galenospheres are formed by creating “green spaces” (such as city parks and squares), installing elements that mask urban sounds (e.g., the sound of a fountain covering traffic noise), or visiting places in or outside Milan that have a rural character (Chiaravalle, Cascina Campazzo, Cascina Rizza, Park Vistontich near Pavia, Ticinello Park in Milan, Southern Park in Milan). These galenospheres are created or chosen based on cultural sound representations (stereotypes) of “silence," which include natural sounds such as birdsong, natural water streams, and the rustling of wind and leaves. This stereotype also involves seeking the absence of urban sounds associated with technology, such as car noises, public transportation, the acoustics of dense construction, or an excess of human voices. The research shows that silence is not only an acoustic category but also a cultural one. Silence is not understood as the absence of sound but as a specific category of sounds, constructed through the negation of those that dominate the daily experience of city dwellers.