Donizetti's birthplace (''Casa natale di Gaetano Donizetti'') is a cultural site in
Bergamo
Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...
, in
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
, Italy. The composer
Gaetano Donizetti
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the '' bel canto'' opera style dur ...
was born here on 29 November 1797; since 2009 it has been a museum.
The building is open to visitors on Sundays; special visits on Monday to Friday may be arranged by appointment.
["Information"]
casanatale.donizetti.org. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
History
The composer was the youngest of three sons in the family. They lived in the basement of the house, and Donizetti's father was caretaker of the municipal pawnshop. Donizetti's musical education began as a choirboy at
Santa Maria Maggiore
The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the larges ...
, where the ''
maestro di cappella
(, also , ) from German ''Kapelle'' (chapel) and ''Meister'' (master)'','' literally "master of the chapel choir" designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term ha ...
''
Simon Mayr
Johann(es) Simon Mayr (also spelled Majer, Mayer, Maier), also known in Italian as Giovanni Simone Mayr or Simone Mayr (14 June 1763 – 2 December 1845), was a German composer. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the ...
recognized his musical ability.
["The museum"]
casanatale.donizetti.org. Retrieved 13 October 2022."Gaetano Donizetti"
''Britannica''. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
The oldest parts of the building date from the 14th/15th centuries. Facing Via Borgo Canale, it shows four storeys; on the other side of the house, facing Via degli Orti downhill, there are five storeys above ground.[
The building was purchased by the Municipality of Bergamo in 1925, and was declared a national monument the following year. It continued in use as a residential building from the mid 1930s until the mid 1960s. In 1948 (the centenary of the composer's death) and 1973, the basement was restored and opened to the public. The entire building was restored from 2007 and opened to the public in 2009, the space within being organized by the Donizetti Foundation.][
]
Description
The basement where the Donizetti family lived, now bare of furniture, can be viewed. The ground floor has display boards outlining the lives of the composer and his teacher Simon Mayr. On the floor above there is a large room dedicated to the theatre, Donizetti being known above all as a composer of operas. The next floor houses a small auditorium, where meetings and cultural events may take place.[
]
See also
* Donizetti Museum
* List of music museums
This worldwide list of music museums encompasses past and present museums that focus on musicians, musical instruments or other musical subjects.
Argentina
* – Mina Clavero
* Academia Nacional del Tango de la República Argentina – Buenos ...
References
{{Gaetano Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti
Biographical museums in Italy
Music museums in Italy
Museums in Bergamo