Giuseppe Verdi's bench

In Parma, Emilia-Romagna

1813 - 1901

GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901) Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was born in Le Roncole di Busseto on 10 October 1813. From an early age he received organ lessons from the town's organist, practicing on a spinet

In 1832 he moved to Milan where he introduced himself at the Conservatory, but was not admitted. Shortly after he was recalled to Busseto to hold the position of music teacher of the Municipality.

In the following years he demonstrated his compositional vein, already oriented towards the opera house. He made his debut in 1839 with Oberto, count of San Bonifacio alla Scala in Milan, obtaining some success. Three years later, again at La Scala, his Nabucco had a more than positive result. His growing fame led him to live, from 1842 to 1848, the so-called "years in prison", characterized by hard work and numerous requests. We remember from this period the Lombards at the first crusade, Ernani, I due Foscari, Macbeth, I masnadieri and Luisa Miller.

In 1848 he moved to Paris with his partner Giuseppina Strepponi, soprano who collaborated with him in Milan. In the following five years he composed the famous popular Trilogy, the group of three operas (Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata), which had an incredible success.

Once he returned home, his life as a composer was also added to his political commitment in favor of the Risorgimento movement: following the unification of Italy, in fact, Verdi was elected deputy of the first Italian Parliament and, subsequently, in 1874 he was appointed senator. In these years he composed The Force of Destiny, Aida and the Requiem Mass, written on the occasion of the death of Alessandro Manzoni.

At the enviable age of eighty, he made his debut with the comic opera Falstaff and then retired to his estate in Sant'Agata and said goodbye to the theater.

He died in 1901 in Milan; the funeral took place without pomp or music, as simple as his life had always been.

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