Versilia is a prime destination for high society nightlife and designer shopping, but its cosmopolitan atmosphere has captivated undisputed geniuses in the past. Among them is one of the greatest international opera masters: Giacomo Puccini. Although born in Lucca, Puccini spent almost his entire life in his villa on Piazzale Belvedere in Torre del Lago, just a fifteen-minute drive from Lido di Camaiore.

During your stay at the Grand Hotel & Riviera, we suggest you visit the heartwarming places of the incomparable master, reachable in the blink of an eye.

Puccini's passion for Versilia

When Puccini arrived on the Tuscan coast around 1890, it was love at first sight: Torre del Lago became his home, but above all the place from which he drew inspiration for arias known worldwide. It is no coincidence that the town is called Torre del Lago Puccini today, to celebrate the special alchemy between the man and the municipality that had adopted him. In a letter addressed to a friend before his death, he wrote that he liked to go boating on the lake to hunt woodcocks and admire the panorama.

"But once I would like to come here to listen to one of my operas outdoors," he concluded.

Puccini's passionate desire, even in his final moments, has become an extraordinary reality.

La magia del Festival Puccini

Torre del Lago has embraced and cherished the master's dream, and today hundreds of people from all over the world gather by the lake in summer to listen to a Puccini opera.

To celebrate the composer, Torre del Lago has been organizing the Puccini Festival for seventy years, featuring a schedule of his most beautiful works staged in front of Lake Massaciuccoli by ever-changing casts of international caliber.

Listening to La Bohème or Madama Butterfly outdoors, with a view of the placid lake waters, has a unique flavor and differs significantly from attending an opera in a theater. The pleasant breeze that caresses the Tuscan coast, the colors of the lake at night, and the special acoustics of an open-air arena all contribute to an atmosphere of pure enchantment.

If you plan to spend the summer in Versilia, you cannot miss this extraordinary event. To attend one of the performances of the Puccini Festival, feel free to contact our concierge: we will help you book tickets and arrange transfers if needed.

Stay at the Grand Hotel & Riviera and let yourself be enveloped by the magic of the Puccini Festival - you'll be absolutely enchanted.