Meeting with the driver and the guide in hotel.
Thanks to its world famous opera house and the presence of many important musicians, Milan can be regarded as the temple of classical music. In its maze of streets, laid out like a pentagram, we can trace the paths of the cities' musical glory. First stop on our itinerary is the Casa Verdi, the world's only retirement home for opera divas conductors, composers, and musicians. This charming 19th century construction houses the tomb of Giuseppe Verdi and his second wife, the soprano Giuseppina Strepponi. The legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini, one of the retirement home's first patrons, is buried in the stunning Monumental Cemetery. This peaceful, green oasis can be considered an outdoor museum of tomb sculpture and architecture built for the wealthy of the last two centuries. In the centre of the city is La Scala opera house, for over 200 years the major testing ground for the world's best singers and musicians. This 18th century theatre boasts the largest stage in Europe and is open to the public, unless a rehearsal is taking place. In the La Scala Museum is a unique display of items concerning the performing arts, dating from ancient Greek to recent times. The nearby Duomo offers a fine example of a "music Chapel" with its wonderful pipe organs set within a magnificent Gothic frame.
Return to hotel.
|
|
