'Tosca', one of the most famous operas of the romantic composer Giacomo Puccini is entirely set in Rome. It tells the drama of love, death and jealousy of Tosca, a young girl of the Roman aristocracy, and Cavaradossi, a famous painter of the time. In this tour, you will enjoy Rome's beauty as you go through the main acts of the opera and visit the real places where it was set.
Your tour begins in the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, one of the greatest expressions of 16th-century art in Rome. Here you will admire frescoes by Domenichino and Lanfranchi, as well as the first Baroque dome of the city. In Puccini's opera this is the place where the former consul of the Roman Republic, Angelotti is sheltered and asks for the help of Cavaradossi, the man loved by Tosca.
Passing through Campo de' Fiori, you will reach Piazza Farnese, one of the most fascinating squares of Rome's city center and the place where the opera's second act is staged. Here rises the beautiful Palazzo Farnese, one of the jewels of Roman Renaissance and nowadays home to the French embassy. Learn about the history and mysteries of the Palace and of the two twin fountains of the square. You will hear about the exoteric decorations that came to life on its facade after the last restoration in 2000. In Puccini's opera, this is the headquarters of Baron Scarpia, where Tosca confesses Cavaradossi complcity with the fugitive Angelotti.
The tour ends at Castel Sant'Angelo, originally the mausoleum of Emperor Adrian. In the Middle Ages, the fortress was used as a safe where the Vatican's treasures were kept and as a prison for political prisoners. Here, in Puccini's opera, Cavaradossi is shot and Tosca, convinced that she has saved him with her confession, tragically commits suicide.
Walking tour
