In 1937, Morricone and Leone were classmates in Trastevere; 89 years later, his soundtracks resonate by candlelight

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Rachele Orsoni

 –  Staff Writer

 ·  November 13, 2026

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The Meeting in Monteverde and the 1937 Photo

After elementary school, their paths diverged. Morricone, born in Rome in 1928 and the son of trumpeter Mario Morricone, chose music; Leone, born a few months later in January 1929, pursued a career in film.

Nearly thirty years passed before fate brought them together again. In late 1963, a director knocked on the Morricone family’s door in Monteverde Vecchio to propose that he compose the soundtrack for a new film. As they spoke, the composer noticed a particular movement of the man’s lower lip that seemed strangely familiar. It was indeed him: his elementary school classmate. To dispel any doubts, Morricone went to fetch the old class photo from 1937.

From the cinema to the Oscars, all the way to the candlelit concert

That reunion gave rise to *A Fistful of Dollars* (1964) and one of the most iconic artistic partnerships of all time: Morricone composed the scores for six of the seven films directed by Leone (all except *The Colossus of Rhodes*), launching a legendary career crowned by two Oscars—the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 and the Oscar for *The Hateful Eight* in 2016.

Eighty-nine years after that photo was taken in Trastevere, his most famous melodies return to resonate in his city with “Candlelight: Ennio Morricone and Other Soundtracks,” scheduled for December 4 and 12 in the Salone Bernini at Palazzo Ripetta, just a short walk from Piazza del Popolo. A live ensemble will reinterpret the Maestro’s greatest classics surrounded by hundreds of candles—an experience rated 4.63 out of 5 by over 800 audience members. Tickets start at €26.50.