A night at the opera house

The 20th of January some classes of our school went to the Verdi Theatre to see the Aida, a famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi, commissioned for the opening of the Suez Canal but retarded because of the French-Prussian war. It was finally performed at Cairo Khedivial Opera House the 24th of December 1871. In the opera Aida, an Ethiopian princess is captured and brought into slavery in Egypt. A military commander, Radames, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the Pharaoh. To complicate the story further, Radames is loved by the Pharaoh's daughter Amneris.

It was an interesting experience for all of us. The atmosphere tooked us back in time somehow and made us feel like the people of the 19th century, because we went through the same doors to see the same opera.

Something about the theatre.
The “Verdi Opera House”, named after the composer Giuseppe Verdi, was privately commissioned by Giovanni Matteo Tommasini in the 18th century to Gian Antonio Selva, the architect of the “La Fenice” Theatre in Venice. He designed the interiors - a classic horseshoe-shaped auditorium, but Matteo Pertsch was engaged for the exteriors where he incorporated elements of the Theatre “La Scala” in Milan. So the Verdi Opera House became a mixture between the styles of the “La Fenice” and “La Scala”. The theatre opened his doors on April 21st 1801 and it could host 1400 people.

Marko (4B)

The Befana comes at night....

On January 5th Italian children gather around the fireplace at night. New presents are coming because the Befana is arriving!!!!!

The Befana is an old woman, similar to a witch. Her origins date back to pre-christian traditions, in fact she reminds us of the presents offered to Jesus from the Magi. She wears a dark loose skirt with coloured patches, an apron with pockets, a shawl, a headscarf or old hat, a pair of old slippers. She flies on a broom carrying a big sack full of presents, candies, but also coal. She comes down through the chimney and fills children’s socks: presents and sweets for the good but coal for the bad ones!!!!!!

We dedicate to her this nursery rhyme:

La Befana vien di notte
Con le scarpe tutte rotte

Col cappello alla romana
VIVA VIVA LA BEFANA!

Francesca (4B)