Travel tips for opera lovers – Lucca and Giacomo Puccini

Puccini in Lucca

The series about historical places of opera art. Get to know exciting excursion and travel ideas for opera lovers. This time: Puccini in Lucca

All Destinations on google maps with links to detailed Blogposts:

Puccini in Lucca

Puccini was born in 1858 into a family of musicians. He grew up in Lucca and left it at the age of 22 for his education at the conservatory in Milan. He remained attached to his hometown throughout his life and built two residences outside Lucca (Chiatri and Torre di Lago). He was able to buy back his parents’ house with the money from his first successful opera “Manon Lescaut” and it still belongs to his descendants, who set up a museum in it.

After his success in Milan Puccini came back to Lucca and started an affair with his later wife Elvira, unfortunately she was married to a grocer of the village, the whole thing ended tragically, more about this below in the excursus “Puccini’s affairs and his Liù”.

TO THE COMPLETE PUCCINI BIOGRAPHY

TO THE TRAVEL GUIDE PO VALLEY, EMILIA ROMAGNA; TOSCANA FOR OPERA AND CLASSIC LOVERS

Destination Puccini Museo (Casa natale)

The museum in Piazza Cittadella is Puccini’s birthplace, where he lived for over 20 years with his parents and sisters. You can find here many objects belonging to the composer, including the Steinway on which he composed, among others, “Turandot”. The museum is nicely done and informative.

Puccini monument in Piazza Cittadella:

http://www.puccinimuseum.org/it/

Destination Permanent Festival and Basilica San Giovanni

Every evening in the Basilica of San Giovanni in the center of Lucca there is a concert with the music of Puccini and other composers from Lucca and the surrounding area (Alfredo Catalani and others). The music is of good quality and takes place in the beautiful ambience of the church.

Basilika San Giovanni:

http://www.puccinielasualucca.it/

Musical background: Puccini’s affairs and his Liù:

When Puccini returned to Lucca after his successes in Milan, Elvira, married to the local grocer Narciso, became pregnant by Puccini and they set off with their daughter to Monza, where their son Antonio was born. However, they were not able to marry until 15 years later, when Elvira’s husband was killed by a cuckolded husband. However, Puccini did not remain idle on his part. Meanwhile, having arrived in Torre di lago, he fell for the neighbor Corinna. Because Elvira was pathologically jealous, he hired students to play the piano for him at night to lull Elvira into safety while Puccini rushed to Corinna through the window. Because Corinna in turn cheated on Puccini, Puccini changed his lover. Elvira suspected her housekeeper Doria and pursued her with slander and hateful tirades. The desperate Doria poisoned herself and suffered an agonizing death. But Elvira was wrong, Puccini was indeed having an affair, but with Doria’s sister. Puccini was deeply shocked by Doria’s death, which perhaps contributed to the compositional blockade that followed for many years. Possibly he processed this tragedy of Doria with Liù’s heartbreaking sacrificial death in the opera “Turandot”, who sacrifices herself for the hero “Calaf” (Puccini?).

Liù’s farewell «Tu che di gel sei cinta» sung by Angela Gheorghiu:

https://opera-inside.com/turandot-by-giacomo-puccini-the-opera-guide-and-synopsis/#Tu

Elvira Bonturi (later Puccini) in the year 1885:

Doria Manfredi (second from left):