The Busseto Pilgrimage  Buesseto is where Maestro G. Verdi was born and lived most of his life.  And today it is a pilgrimage for his fans. 

The "Verdi history trail"  has three parts:  (1) his youth around the village of Roncole Verdi; (2) early adulthood phase in Busseto before his Milano period;  (3) Later in life, after he became rich and famous and returned from Milano, at his estate outside Busseto.  All these can be covered in one day, but if you are like us a very serious Verdi fan you should plan three days (as we did in 2002) to allow enough time to  see and absorb everything there is to see.  See Itinerary on right.

     Where to sleep and eat:  The are several hotels in Busseto but only one appropriate for a Verdi pilgrimage:  Hotel I Due Foscari, [**, $$] started by well known Verdiian tenor Carlo Begonzi, who himself was born in Busseto.  Besides the Verdi connection, there are other reasons to stay here:  interesting architecture (sort of medieval castle in the interior);  very friendly; very reasonable; large rooms.  There are only 20 rooms, so book well in advance.  Ask for the room with a window overlooking Verdi statue in the square. 

     Avoid the tourist crowds at lunch or dinner:  go to family run restaurants in neighboring towns.  One such establishment is Restaurata la Chiesa di San Michele [*,$].

     In a more or less Verdi life chronological order here is the recommended itinerary of everything in and around Buesseto .....

Roncole Verdi, a few kilometers SW of Busseto

• Casa natale: Verdi's birthplace (October 10, 1813) and childhood home. 

• San Michele Arcangelo:  a.k.a. Chiesa di Roncole, is the parish across the street from Casa natale where Verdi was baptized and later was an alter boy.  He played the church's 736 pipes organ at the age of seven.  That organ still plays there today.  There is also the myth that his mother hid with him in the bell tower to escape Russian and Austrian troops (1814).

• Madonna dei Prati: This church is an interesting Verdi spot that most tourists miss out on, possibly because it is a bit out of the way - about 2 km from Roncole Verdi.  Verdi studied music at the rectory.  There is a myth here that one of Verdi's teachers and three others were struck here by lightening.    Earlier in the year the young Verdi at cursed the teacher with "may you be struck by lightning."

Bosseto

• Casa Barezzi:  Home of Antonio Barezzi, Verdi's patron and eventually father-in-law.  The home is now a museum and includes the piano on which Verdi composed I Due Foscari

• Palazzo Orlandi - Verdi's home with his 2nd wife Giuseppina Streppponi while they were waiting the construction of their Sant/Agata estate.

• Villa Pallavicino - a town villa turned into a civic museum with Verdi relics.

• Near the town main square there is an antiques shop selling Verdi paraphernalia.  Some of it is good.

• Teatro di Busseto on the town square was built by the towns folk as a stage for and to honor their most famous citizen.  Operas were staged here.  Verdi hated it, probably because the stage is ridiculously small for opera.  But the town folk persisted.