Save Villa Verdi

Join the JCCIA- Save Villa Verdi!

"Famous composer, Giuseppe Verdi, was born in the town of Busseto – a small community just north of Parma. The heirs of Giuseppe Verdi (the Carrara-Verdi family) in Busseto have launched a campaign to raise funds to help restore the damage to the Villa Verdi.

The Verdi descendants live in a section of the villa and the rest of the villa comprises a museum that features the maestro’s original room and furnishings, his wife’s bedroom, a carriage house, a private chapel and a seven-acre garden surrounding the villa. It would be devastating if Villa Verdi were to close down for good. Due to the pandemic, all museums in Italy were shut down for months. It has always been solely the Verdi family who take care of the estate. However, owing to the lack of the much-needed revenue generated by the museum entrance fees, there is a risk that the villa could be closed permanently to the public. I have to believe it would be emotionally a very difficult decision to make by the Verdi family. And It would be a truly sad day for many - both the Verdi family, the Busseto community, and also the opera lovers of the world.

The Sister Cities Association of Sarasota (SCAS) have developed a dedicated page for this campaign on our SCAS website (www.sarasotasistercities.org)." (Information courtesy of SCAS).

You may make a donation through JCCIA towards the Save Villa Verdi here.

Giuseppe Verdi by Giovanni Boldini.