On December 22, 1858, Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca, the fifth of nine children and the last descendant of a unique dynasty that had dominated the musical life of Lucca over a century and a half. Left fatherless, he spent his youth between the family home in Lucca and the summer house in Celle; at the age of nine, he entered the seminary and began playing the organ in the Cathedral of Lucca. However, Puccini preferred opera. At the end of the 1880s, after obtaining his diploma from the Pacini Music Institute in Lucca, he continued his studies at the Milan Conservatory. His time in Milan was a crucial period for the young Puccini, as he came into contact with the musical world of the time and the Scapigliatura movement (a group of intellectuals who sought to rebel against formal artistic traditions in favor of free inspiration and imagination). He met Pietro Mascagni and shared a room with him for a few months. In 1883, he completed his studies and earned his diploma with the composition “Capriccio Sinfonico,” which immediately revealed the maestro’s genius.

On April 1st of the same year, the magazine “Il Teatro illustrato,” published by the Sonzogno publishing house, announced a competition for emerging artists to compose an unpublished one-act opera. Puccini composed “Le Villi.” However, the opera did not win and was not even mentioned among the works worthy of consideration. Nevertheless, the opera was performed on May 31, 1884, at the Dal Verme Theater in Milan, thanks to a subscription signed by friends and influential investors. The success, both critically and with the audience, was enthusiastic. “The composer Italy had been waiting for…” wrote “Il Corriere della Sera,” and Marco Sala stated: “Puccini’s work is a precious little masterpiece from beginning to end.