“Torre del Lago, supreme joy, paradise, heavenly Eden, ivory tower, spiritual vessel, palace… population 120, 12 houses…”
A deep love that lasted thirty years bound Giacomo Puccini to the charming village of Torre del Lago, which, to the pride of all its inhabitants, has long since changed its name to Torre del Lago Puccini.
Puccini was born on 22 December 1858 in Lucca, in a house on Via di Poggio, the youngest of a family of musicians spanning four generations, originally from Celle.
When the great composer arrived in Torre del Lago in the late 19th century, it was to find a picturesque and peaceful place where his creative genius could flourish. He immediately took a liking to the lake and the small village, whose houses were reflected in the grey-blue waters of Lake Massaciuccoli, less than two kilometres from the sandy beaches of Versilia, and the welcome he received from the people of Torre del Lago was enthusiastic.
On his arrival, the young composer was even met by a welcoming committee at the small railway station, and the many artists – mostly painters – with whom he later founded the Club della Bohème gathered around him, delighted to count such a famous figure among their ranks. These were years of extraordinary artistic fervour that swept across the whole region: Florence, Livorno, and even Lucca were in contact with Paris and the European capitals; ideas and people circulated rapidly, with painters and musicians meeting in homes and cafés.
But then, to return to the roots of his inspiration—light and the purest sounds—he would go where nature still offered powerful sensations. “Sun-drenched beaches, cool pine forests, the ever-calm lake—in short, Eden”: Puccini had two great passions, music and hunting, and for him Lake Massaciuccoli was the ideal place to pursue both.
He arrived there in 1891, aged thirty-three, and decided to settle there, first renting rooms and then having the villa built in which he took up residence in 1900. Then came the successes of Manon Lescaut (1893) and La Bohème (1896), and with them the funds to buy the home of his life, an ancient watchtower (the origin of the name Torre del Lago), which he had completely renovated.
He also had part of the lakeside levelled, with the permission of the Marquis Ginori, who owned the land, in order to create the garden and the road in front of the house; just outside was the jetty, from which he would set off on hunting trips, particularly for coots and snipe. The house, which is open to visitors, still bears witness to these things: the pianos used to compose music, mementos of great performances and awards from international triumphs, and the paintings by his friend the artist Ferruccio Pagni, who socialised with the musician alongside other artists such as Plinio Nomellini and the Tommasi brothers. Puccini remained in Torre del Lago for thirty years and composed all his major operas there, including Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904), La Fanciulla del West (1910), La Rondine (1917) and Il Trittico (1918). In 1921, he moved to the new villa he had built in Viareggio, where, however, he remained for only three years, until his death in 1924.
Per volere del figlio, il musicista è sepolto in una cappella costruita nella vecchia casa sul lago. Anche il lago ricorda le storie del passato: lo si può esplorare in battello, partendo di fronte alla Villa Puccini, la luce è la stessa di un tempo ed anche la quiete. Oggi il lago fa parte del Parco regionale di Migliarino- San Rossore Massaciuccoli, comprendente 24 mila ettari di spiagge, pinete e zone palustri che ospitano una ricchissima avifauna. Di questo intreccio, tra il lago, Puccini e la musica è frutto il Festival Puccini che dal 1930 si tiene sulla sponda del lago, voluto già da Puccini prima di morire e alla sua opera interamente consacrato.