World-renowned composer
Giacomo Puccini, one of the world’s greatest opera composers, was born in Lucca in 1858. The Puccini family was a musical dynasty in Lucca, having held the role of maestro di cappella at the cathedral of San Martino in Lucca for 124 years. Puccini studied in Lucca and Milan and composed his first serious work, a Mass, at the age of 21. He went on to compose 12 operas, of which the most well-known and frequently performed are La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, Tosca and, his last opera, Turandot.
The Casa Natale (Birthplace) Puccini museum in Lucca is well worth visiting, as is the composer’s characterful lakeside house at Torre del Lago (30 minutes from Al Bastini). Through much of the year, there are nightly performances of Puccini’s music in the Church of San Giovanni in Lucca. The beautiful Teatro del Giglio opera house in Lucca stages productions of Puccini’s operas and there is an excellent summer festival of Puccini’s operas in August and July at the open air theatre at Torre del Lago, with some very good restaurants for pre-opera suppers. 2024 will be the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death and will be marked by many events in and around Lucca.
