Giuseppe Verdi lived for more than half a century in a villa located in the hamlet of Sant’Agata di Villanova. Photo: AFP
Giuseppe Verdi left a vast body of operatic work, including Rigoletto, Aida and La Traviata.
He composed most of these operas in a villa that is about to be sold by his descendants.
A situation that has spurred Italy’s cultural institutions into action. Verdi moved into this large stone building in the hamlet of Sant’Agata di Villanova in Emilia Romagna in 1851.
He lived there for almost half a century until his death in 1901. Part of the house is now used as a museum, where music lovers can discover many objects that belonged to the Italian maestro, including a collection of artworks, a piano and his personal library.
But the future of this museum, and indeed the Villa Verdi, is now under threat.
On May 27, the court of Parma announced that the former home of Verdi would go up for auction. A legal decision that put an end to an inheritance dispute that had been going on for more than 20 years between the heirs who inherited the building.
The fate of this house-museum has attracted the attention of the Italian state, which wishes to acquire it to prevent it from falling into private hands. It has allocated €20mil (RM94mil) for the purchase, although the local press claims that Villa Verdi could fetch €30mil (RM141mil) at auction.
The Italian Ministry of Culture decided to launch the “Viva Verdi” operation to raise the necessary funds for the acquisition and renovation of this somewhat dilapidated house.
Some of the most renowned opera houses in the country are participating in this vast project to save, promote and enhance Villa Verdi by staging 14 concerts and theatrical performances as part of a programme that runs until June 15.
Participants include the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Verona Arena and La Scala in Milan. Proceeds from these events will be donated to the Italian Ministry of Culture to ensure the sustainability of Villa Verdi.
The initiative has been welcomed by culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano.
“Villa Verdi is not only a physical place, but a place of collective memory of all Italians. Because Giuseppe Verdi is not only an extraordinary composer whose success is celebrated every day, but he was also a protagonist of the Italian Risorgimento (unification), with Mazzini, Garibaldi and Cavour. Giambattista Vico would have called it a place of shared ideas. An important element of national identity that the Republic must honour,” he said in a statement.
Before the “Viva Verdi” initiative, a crowdfunding campaign was launched in December 2020 to raise the €20,000 (RM94,281) needed to carry out the most urgent work to renovate the former home of the classical composer, albeit without much success. – AFP
