The music of the maestro floats in the air and my eyes fix on a stilt house, used for fishing in the lake, which reminds of his cheerful parties with local friends, far from his duties and his melancholy. He used to push his boat through the grove of reeds and reach for this hidden retreat full of smoke, manly jokes and gambling, to join the so called Bohéme club of beloved friends. He used to travel all over the world, by air, water or land, following his adventurous nature, but he longed for going back to his native land and routine made of races on his motorboat MAS on the lake, coot hunting, which was very popular in this area and long joyrides in the neighbor natural forest.

In the XIXth century the Massaciuccoli lake was devoted to pit extraction, hunting, rice and flax cultivations. Just a few families lived by the lake, among these: Giacomo Puccini’s, whose villa was brushing the water; the Marquee Ginori Lisci (nowadays Villa La Piaggetta), whose dwelling was built at the opposite side of the lake and whose piano was much appreciated by Puccini, who also composed pieces of Bohéme there; Salvatore Orlando, who was a big ship builder from Leghorn, who used his villa as hunting lodge, right next to Puccini’s one.

The maestro was close friend to both and used to spend time together and share their love for life and art. In fact, some of the most famous Macchiaioli painters (read: a group of Italian painters active in Tuscany in the second half of the nineteenth century, who, breaking with the classical conventions taught by the Italian art academies, did much of their paintings in the outdoors so as to capture natural light, shades, and colours. This practice relates the Macchiaioli painters to the French Impressionists who came to prominence a few years later) spent their holidays by the lake in turn of paintings and interior decorations to be left to owners who hosted them in their dependences and cottages.

One of them, Francesco Fanelli, whose admirable frescoes decorate villa La Piaggetta, was one of Puccini’s closest friends and partner of memorable dinners by the lake. Patrizia, the chef at Chalet restaurant, the only one left with piles foundations on the Belvedere Puccini, almost reads my thoughts, when approaching with a full plate of Puccini’s cacciucco, i.e. chicken stew with tomato and black olives. From the open terrace of the restaurant the view embraces the whole lake side from the Orlando’s boat house to the Puccini open air theatre, from where notes kept resounding all around. Giacomo Puccini’s arias are probably the most famous in the world and Nessun dorma lyric by his Turandot is never missing in Italian music shows.

Every summer Puccini is back home by his lake shore, with his music, his friends, his flavors. There is no other place, which resemble so much Giacomo Puccini’s life and embed his soul. Attending the opera at the Puccini Festival is an experience to put the audience in direct contact with the author’s views and feelings, as it allows to walk on paths where he used to run, to listen to music that he has composed there and to enjoy life and nature as he used to do during his whole life. Most pictures portrayed Puccini holding a cigarette in his hand (he smoked up to 50 a day), sitting by the piano or by his car or holding a gun and preys, together with friends… You cannot appreciate his music, without merging in his day life and experiencing the piece and beauty of his land.

"Each summer the magic of Puccini revives by the lake, in the historical villas, on the ferry touring the still waters of the Massaciuccoli lake. You cannot really understand the maestro if you do not come and see, what he did see and inspired his beautiful music". I listen to Patrizia talking, while finishing my last chicken bite and I realize I am very lucky to be born Tuscan and neighbor to Giacomo Puccini.

For more information:
Puccini Festival
http://www.puccinifestival.it/
Villa Orlando
http://www.villaorlando.it/