Events

To mark the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, the Puccini Museum – Casa Natale is enhancing its exhibition by dedicating several rooms to the opera.

Upon Puccini’s death on 29 November 1924, the opera Turandot remained unfinished. The task of composing the final section was entrusted to Franco Alfano, and the opera premiered at La Scala in Milan on 25 April 1926.

The exhibition is organised into two narrative sections: the first section recounts the world premiere in Milan. The narrative unfolds through period images of the production, stage photos of the performers, and reports from the opening night at La Scala 100 years ago.

The undisputed stars of this first part are the two exquisite Turandot costumes from Acts I and II of the premiere, rediscovered and restored a few years ago in the workshops of the Museo del Tessuto in Prato, which has since acquired them. The first section is completed by two original sketches by Galileo Chini, enhanced by original Art Nouveau frames, which illustrate scenes from Acts II and III in vivid colours, set against the period black-and-white photographs.

Puccini himself had chosen Galileo Chini to design the sets and Umberto Brunelleschi to create the costume designs, to whom the second part of the exhibition is dedicated. Brunelleschi’s designs were used to create the costumes for subsequent premieres in Italy and around the world, including the first performance in New York in 1926.

What makes this exhibition unique is the opportunity to admire three exceptional historical costumes, precious one-off pieces, the work of two brilliant and eclectic artists.

The exhibition Turandot - O divina bellezza! O sogno! O meraviglia! runs from 24 April to 1 November 2026 at the Puccini Museum – Casa Natale.

Puccini Museum
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