Visit to the town of Busseto: Verdi's homeland - « Back to Tours

Busseto is traditionally considered Giuseppe Verdi's birthplace, even if it is known that the "Swan of Busseto" was born in the small village of Roncole.

An important agricultural town in the Parmesan lowlands, Busseto (40 metres on sea level, 6964 inhabitants) is rich of history and traditions: since its carolingian foundation, it has been for a long time the capital of the small state ofthe Pallavicino, who held it from the tenth to the sixteenth century, when it was annexed to the Farnese duchy; in the fifteenth century, its age of maximum prosperity, it obtained statutes and in 1533 Charles V gave it the title of city.

The fortified central portion maintains its ancient orthogonal street structure, while the city walls and the two doors opening towards Fidenza and Cremona are lost except for three towers in the southern portion.

Monumento a Verdi

In Roncole Verdi, near Busseto, there is the house where Giuseppe Verdi was born, an humble building used as a inn for a time, today the destination of many visitors.

Also connected to Verdi's fame is the nearby St. Michael church, whose XVI-XVII century structure is still preserved; it contains the font where Verdi was baptized and the old organ at which the master practiced in his youth.

Some photos:

Villa Verdi a Sant'Agata:

Villa Verdi is just 2 Km away from Busseto. To know Verdi one needs to visit the house in which he resided for a long time and to which he returned after his travels in Italy and Europe.
Villa Verdi, in Sant'Agata (part of Villanova sull'Arda), was bought by Giuseppe Verdi in 1848; he lived there since 1851 and he progressively made the building more personal. Verdi himself drew plans and gave written,detailed instructions about the choice of materials and the enlargement of the original house, making it what we see today.

Some photos: