Giacomo Puccini's Photography Passion Explored in Lucca Exhibition

The Fondazione Ragghianti in Lucca presents an exhibition on Giacomo Puccini's passion for photography, revealing a lesser-known facet of the famed composer. Puccini began taking photographs in 1894 during a trip to Sicily, seeking local color for a potential opera based on Verga's 'La lupa.' Though the trip yielded no musical inspiration, he wrote to Giulio Ricordi that he only photographed 'types, farmhouses.' His interest extended to camera equipment, with receipts for photographic materials and technical studies found in his archives. Puccini took numerous photos in South America (1905), the United States (later), and Egypt. The exhibition includes images of Lake Massacciuccoli and Abetone landscapes, plus a travel section. Curated by Angela Madesani, the show highlights Puccini's compositional skill and modern understanding of image's importance, as noted in the accompanying essay by Biagi Ravenni.