HISTORICAL NOTES
The ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ, which had settled in Lucca in the๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฒ, moved to ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ณ๐จ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐, after the sudden and untimely death of ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ข, Giacomoโs grandfather. Probably Domenicoโs young widow, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎฬ, wanted it that way, to be closer to her brother Arcangelo who lived on the first floor of the same building. The Cerรน family played an important role in Giacomoโs forming years; in fact, ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐จ, ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ, was to be generous with moral and material aid. When the family moved it was composed of old Antonio, the great-grandfather of Giacomo, his wife ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ข, their daughter Angela, and also ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎฬ, and her sons Giacomo (soon to die), Chiara and Michele, Giacomoโs father, and a servant.
THE HOUSE OF A FAMILY OF MUSICIANS
This is the house where Giacomo Puccini was born on 22 December, 1858, and where he was also christened by special permit, the next day, perhaps because in danger of death. He was given the names of all his preceding musicians: Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele (and Secondo Maria), to summarize the whole family tradition. At the time of his birth his parents lived in the house, Michele and Albina Magi, with his grandmother Angela Cerรน, his sisters Otilia, Tomaide (the third born, Temi, had lived less than a year), Maria Nitteti, Iginia, and a โservantโ a certain Assunta Menconi. A year later his other sister Ramelde was to be born, and another โservantโ taken, Carola Martinelli, and later on Macrina was born and finally, after the death of his father, Michele junior.
THE LEGACY
It is in this house that Giacomo lived his ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, until the death of his father Michele, on 23 January, 1864, and ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐๐ and ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐จ๐, during which his mother Albina followed the training of all her children with admirable determination, although having to face a very difficult economic situation. Even though ๐๐ข๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐จ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐, to continue his studies at the Conservatory, this was still his home. ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐. At that time Giacomo and Michele junior resided mainly in Milan, and the sisters were all married (except Iginia, who had become a nun). The property passed to Giacomo and Michele junior, since the sisters had declined their inheritance in favour of their brothers.
THE SALE AND REDEMPTION
In ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ Giacomo and Michele junior ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ-๐ข๐ง-๐ฅ๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ข, but they included a special clause in the contract, which ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ค. More than once in his letters to his brother Michele, in the meantime emigrated to South America, Giacomo recalled: โ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐จ๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐โ. However, it is only after the great success of Pucciniโs ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ in 1893 that he could actually make use of the special clause, despite the resistance of Raffaello, which was evident from some of the composerโs letters: โI sincerely regret that the ownership of the house where I was born was transferred to others `{`โฆ`}` I shall recover my house as soon as possible. I am sorry not to write according to your desires, but my affection for the house of my birth makes me be impolite with youโ, and again,โ I hold to the 4 cracked walls, the broken beams, even the rubble of my house and I beg you not to insist any further because this would displease me. I will redeem my home, of this you can be sure `{`โฆ`}` I love the place where my relatives were born and for all the gold in the world I would not give up my paternal roof.โFinally, ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ, ๐๐๐๐ Giacomo (Michele junior died prematurely in 1891) ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ.
A STRONG BOND OF THE HEART
The house nevertheless continued to be rented and Puccini, often distant, counted on the ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ข, ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข, to follow the various ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฌ and normal ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค, including condominium work. Here is what he wrote a few years later to Ramelde: โAs far as the house is concerned, you take care of it. But as Raffaello could come to me for a week, coming from Lucca and returning he could take a look at the house and see to the builder etc. The jobs are not many, and concerning the beam in the kitchen, I think it will last for centuries. I have seen it. The house needs cleaning up and the kitchen floor and passage floor have urgent need of repairs. The problem is the stairs and the loggia. Raffaello should try to agree with the neighbours and have the scaligero plaster scraped off before whitewashing again; and all those tools in the loggia should be removed (whose are they and who put them there? Perhaps the cooper?). Itโs a disgrace, and if they wonโt remove them, we should have the competent authorities do it. Then there are the windows: (some) need new putty on the panesโ.Despite the great love tant bound him to this house, Puccini never lived there again.
THE HOUSE AFTER THE MAESTROโS DEATH
On the death of Puccini, the property passed to his son Antonio (with usufruct for Elvira), then, on the death of Antonio (1946), to his wife, Rita DellโAnna.In ๐๐๐๐, culminating a series of initiatives by the City of Lucca โ mainly the ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ข ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅโ๐๐ง๐ง๐ donated the Birth Home for it to be transformed into a museum.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ, fitted out by the Fondazione Giacomo Puccini with furniture, paintings, documents and memorabilia donated through separate acts by Rita DellโAnna and later by her brother Livio, was ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ซ, ๐๐๐๐.
THE BIRTH HOME MUSEUM TODAY
Since then, the Museum remained open, closing for short periods, until Autumn 2004, when the Fondazione Giacomo Puccini started a project of total restoration which included fitting out the museum anew, the qualifying objectives being to reinstate the original layout of the rooms and recover the decorations of the walls.With the judgment which granted the ownership of the property and the collection contained therein to Simonetta Puccini, work was interrupted (early 2006).
At the end of 2010 the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca bought the property and the collection. At the same time it resolved to entrust the Museum to the Fondazione Giacomo Puccini and to finance the completion of the work which had been interrupted and the fitting out, according to the previously defined project.
๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ - ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐.
RESTORATION
When in 2003 I was asked by the Fondazione Giacomo Puccini, which at that time already managed the Birth Home of the Maestro, to rethink staging and draw up a restoration project, I accepted the assignment with enthusiasm and, together with Gabriella Biagi Ravenni, director of the Foundation, we began to review the entire layout of the house through the documents obtained up to that point, attempting to reconstruct the environment in which Giacomo Puccini had lived.
THE FIRST PHASE OF RESTORING OF THE ORIGINAL INTERIORS
The house appeared totally whitewashed, with no suspended ceilings and a guided tour that made the layout of the environments and their various purposes quite incomprehensible.
The furnishings, including those from the DellโAnna donation, which came from houses which had belonged to the Maestro, had been supplemented with items which were totally out of place, providing a misleading picture of the house.
From the limited descriptions that were found in Giacomoโs letters, understanding the tone of the house was impossible, even if the old plans suggested an elegant apartment.
We decided to perform a series of tests on the walls, which in our opinion conserved decoration work. It was stunning to see that from under the whitewash appeared, room after room, decorations assignable to various ages, but all attributable to the period when the Maestro lived. So it was that we had confirmation of various hypotheses on the purpose of the rooms in the house. We also found an absolute correspondence with the words written in the Maestroโs letters.
The apartment entrance has returned to the hall, as it was in Giacomoโs time, and this ambiance, richly painted at the beginning of the 19th century, at once gives us the decorative key to the house which had, as can be seen today, a very elegant tone.
As the whitewash was being removed, some cracks appeared which led us to make a static examination of the walls and ceilings. Unfortunately, a very serious situation has emerged involving not only Pucciniโs Birth Home, but the entire building. A consolidation project has been drawn up by the practice of ing. Stefano Caramelli which has stopped restoration work on decorating and refurbishing to give priority to the removal of flooring, the consolidation of the beams and the implementation of chains capable of restoring stability to the perimeter walls that risked collapse.
THE INTERRUPTION OF REDEVELOPMENT WORK
At the end of the work mentioned above, and during the recovery phase of the removed floors, work had to be stopped because of a court sentence which established the transfer of ownership from the Fondazione Giacomo Puccini to the Maestroโs niece, Simonetta Puccini.
The latter after a few years transferred the property to the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, which had already contributed to fund the work conducted so far in his Birth Home, and has re-appointed the writer to complete the construction work.
Work has resumed, the flooring has been completed, the bathrooms have been refurbished and the decoration has been restored.
The help of the architect Leonardo Casini was crucial in completing this phase, appointed by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca to complete the work according to the plan originally drawn up by the writer and Gabriella Biagi Ravenni.
THE REOPENING OF THE MUSEUM AFTER ACQUISITION BY THE FONDAZIONE CASSA DI RISPARMIO DI LUCCA
The decision to re-open two filled-in doors and rebuild a wall demolished in the mid-20th century has completed the faithful reconstruction of the Maestroโs house, which we have decorated with furniture, properly restored, once belonging to the Puccini family, supplementing reconstruction of the rooms with new elements such as the glass partitions which transform two environments into real exhibition space, restoring some glass display units previously used in the old layout and adding completely new elements for the two rooms exhibiting documents. The house is completed with a modest environment on the mezzanine, serving the kitchen, where the attic of La bohรจme has been reassembled, thanks to the collaboration of the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca.
In re-arranging the house we have distributed the furniture belonging to the family in the rooms following their historic use: dining room, bedroom, kitchen, etc.. and re-ordered the curtains, selecting, room by room, colors and the decorations present and in fashion at the time, thus completing the rebuilding of this house, which is now able, in addition to showing the collection of valuable manuscripts, to provide rare testimony of Puccini, as well as exhibiting excellent portraits of the Puccini family, to help us understand where the Maestro lived in his early years.
Glauco Borella (September 2011)