Andrea Bocelli – Teatro del Silenzio
On our recent holiday in Tuscany, we were lucky enough to get tickets to the often sold-out concert of Andrea Bocelli in the Teatro del Silenzio, Lajatico.
It’s something we’ve wanted to do since the family moved to Tuscany, as we heard it really is something quite special. Andrea Bocelli is from the Tuscan village of Lajatico and every Summer he performs an outdoor concert in the specially built amphitheatre in the hills. People travel from far and wide to see this once-in-a-lifetime experience and you don’t have to be a lover of opera to appreciate it.Â
Tickets are hard to come by and sell-out quickly each year (this year featured Placido Domingo too, so we knew it was going to be a great show). So we were lucky that the wonderful Arianna and Friends (an English-speaking Tuscan travel agency) helped us out. Arianna and Friends are the perfect agency to use when you want to arrange an authentic Tuscan experience. We’ve booked things through them before, including our Tuscan cookery experience last year. They speak English, know everything there is to know about Tuscany and the events going on and make booking something like the Andrea Bocelli concert easy and pain-free. And what’s more, Arainna, Masimo and the rest of the bunch are soooo lovely and friendly and make you feel so welcome.
So with tickets safely in hand and a picnic hamper brimming with Italian goodies (and Prosecco – obvs!), we made our way to the meeting point, where a minibus was ready and waiting to take us into Lajatico. What a good-looking bunch!
Everything really is well organised and takes the stress out of what could be quite a stressful experience of thousands of people descending upon a tiny town in the Tuscan hills. We were dropped-off at the bottom of the route to the concert and strolled to the top of the hill, where we found the perfect spot to enjoy our picnic.
There is something unbeatable about sitting outside, drinking Prosecco and eating cured meats and cheeses. Bliss…even if it did decide to rain on us a little…
It’s ok though, cos Ben taught us a spot of yoga, then a rainbow appeared…
Suitably full and excited for the concert, we made our way to the Teatro del Silenzio itself, to find our seats. What a view!
We were lucky to be about 30 rows back from the stage – and what a stage it was! Another glass of prosecco poured and we sat back to enjoy the show.
The show was particularly operatic this year, with extravagant and dramatic performances. The back-drop of the stage and lights beaming into the hills, were quite spectacular. After an intro lasting about half an hour, Andrea Bocelli entered the stage to play his part in the story. He really does have the most beautiful voice.
The concert itself lasted about 2.5 hours, including an interval and was over before we knew it. I can’t pretend to be an opera expert, but I think everyone would enjoy this experience as it truly is like nothing else. Sitting in the Tuscan hills at night, listening to the most exquisite singing voices would make anyone happy.
If you’re heading to Tuscany in July, do keep your eyes out for tickets, as I would highly recommend it. It’d be the perfect romantic evening for any couple of newlywed too!
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