Music - the great artists of history and the events

Throughout history, Montecatini Terme has seen numerous musicians spend their summer or autumn holidays in the town, among them: Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Arturo Toscanini, Giovacchino Forzano.

Giuseppe Verdi was one of the most frequent visitors to the spa town. Pietro Grocco, the medical director of the Montecatini spa at the time, was in fact his personal physician.

During his time here, he was inspired to compose important plays, such as Othello and Falstaff.

During the period from 1875 until his death in 1901, he visited the town continuously as he was fascinated by it and its lush green surroundings.

Inscribed on a plaque in the village of Montecatini Alto is a tribute to the beauty of the town: “here are the most splendid views I have ever seen”.

Montecatini Terme’s theater was dedicated to Verdi, as well as Viale Verdi, serving as the main connecting axis to Montecatini Alto and its funicular.

Furthermore, there was Ruggero Leoncavallo, who owned a house in the town, where he died in 1919. Additionally, one of the town’s streets was named in his honour.

In 1924, the authors Puccini, Toscanini and Forzano prepared the staging of Turandot in the premises of the Hotel La Pace in Montecatini Terme. After Puccini’s death, Galileo Chini was responsible for designing the set for the opera, which was later staged by Toscanini.

A statue celebrating the composer Giacomo Puccini stands on Viale Verdi, near the town Hall. This is a work by Aidyn Zeynalov, who is also the author of another sculpture dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi, that was placed near the entrance to the Verdi Theatre.

The importance of and connection to musical culture has nevertheless remained alive in the town. Numerous music-related festivals have continued to follow one another over time, with performances by internationally renowned artists.