FLORENCE, TURIN & PARMA

This is an exclusive opportunity that delivers the finest Verdi experience possible. We will have preferred access to Verdi historical sites, and we will also have special events with the Club of the 27, the famous "Verdi fanclub" in Parma. These special events combined with superb art and historical tours, great cuisine and wine and the communal aspect of travelling with fellow opera, and Verdi, lovers makes for an unforgettable experience.  

Our annual pilgrimage to the Verdi Festival in Parma is a trip to the soul of Italy, and also to the soul of Italian opera. In Parma, we hear three Verdi works. There are definitely many stranieri at the performances in Parma’s glorious Teatro Regio and Busseto’s miraculously tiny Teatro Verdi, but there are also locals, and although the peanut gallery at La Scala has the reputation, the Parmagiani are a tougher crowd. Yes, they can crush the spirit of a singer not yet ready for the big stage, but they can also warmly reward the deserving. Witnessing a performance at Teatro Regio is the ultimate Verdi experience—an orchestra and conductor with Verdi in their blood, singers born to sing the maestro’s lines, and an unforgettable electricity in the auditorium. This is a highlight in our year, every year. Our hotel is the central Stendhal, a short walk to all of the city's major sites.

In Florence, we hear at least one opera under the baton of new Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Artistic Director Fabio Luisi. We also partake in some of the finest art, cuisine and wine to be had anywhere. We will enjoy visits of the Uffizi and also the Accademia to view Michelangelo's David, and our hotel is the elegant and perfectly-located 5-Star Helvetia & Bristol.

Turin, cradle of Italian liberty and capital of the Duchy of Savoy, has a unique feel relative to other large Italian cities. But the wonders, art, cuisine and delicious coffee here abound. We hear at least one opera here at the chic Teatro Regio, stay at the elegant and "Old World" Grand Hotel Sitea and enjoy some of the finest touring and cuisine the city has to offer.

We will spend four nights in each city, and a detailed itinerary will be available in February 2023.