gregoriano

Gregoriano is an adjective used in several Romance languages to indicate a connection to Pope Gregory I or to traditions attributed to him. In common usage, it designates two related but distinct domains of Western culture: the Gregorian calendar and Gregorian chant.

The Gregorian calendar was implemented by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to correct drift in the Julian calendar and restore the equinox to around March 21. It has a 365-day year with leap years every four years, except when the year is divisible by 100 but not by 400. The reform skipped ten days in October 1582 in many places and was gradually adopted worldwide. In Romance-language contexts the calendar is called calendario gregoriano.

The Gregorian chant is a repertoire of sacred monophonic melodies used in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Traditionally attributed to the organization of chant under Pope Gregory I, the direct link is considered legendary by modern scholarship. The chants are sung in Latin, are modal, and were transmitted orally before the development of staff notation; later generations added neumes and eventually staff notation. The chant forms the core of medieval liturgical music and remains influential in ecclesiastical music.

Other uses: The term gregoriano may also appear in modern music and cultural contexts to describe styles that echo the medieval chant tradition or that draw on Gregorian-inspired techniques.