Puccini Villa Museum

In 1891 Giacomo Puccini rented a simple tower-house on the lake of Massaciuccoli. From that moment Torre del Lago became for Puccini a refuge where he found the inspiration for his most famous works. After the success of Manon Lescaut, Puccini moved to count Grottanelli's residence where he remained until Spring 1900 when the construction of Villa Puccini was completed. The Villa has a traditional cubical structure with a symmetrical composition and clearly defined functional partitions: an ornamental bow window in glass and iron connects the entrance of the Villa with the surrounding garden. This rigorous architecture contrasts with the eclectic interior, fruit of the joint efforts of Puccini and Galileo Chini. Puccini's first opera to be represented was the Bohème, in 1930; since then 40 editions of the Puccini Festival have been presented here, first in a makeshift theatre that stood on piles above the water and later in the so called "Teatro dei Quattromila".