Discover the Melodies of Italy: Top 10 Engaging Fun Facts about Italian Music You'll Want to Share!

1. Papal Party Playlist

When the Pope wants to rock around the Christmas tree or do the bunny hop: Italian music has been an integral part of papal celebrations since 1954, broadcasting live on television to millions across the globe during special events like Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter.
Source => vatican.va

2. Opera House Galore

If you thought Italy was just about pizza and pasta, prepare to have your socks opera-tically knocked off: Italy is home to over 60 opera houses, including the world-famous La Scala, where musical virtuosos like Luca Salsi and Nelson Calzi are set to hit the high notes in June.
Source => teatroallascala.org

Did you know Haydn's tomb has two skulls? Find out the bizarre reason and the curious head-napping tale from the 19th century!

=> Fun Facts about Classical-Music

3. Revolutionary Anthem

From Italy with love, a tune of rebellion: "Il Canto degli Italiani," also known as "Fratelli d'Italia," was a hit tune since its debut in 1847, popular enough to serve as an unofficial national anthem for Italian protesters and even Giuseppe Garibaldi's troops during the Expedition of the Thousand in the 1860s. This rebel yell of a song even made it into Giuseppe Verdi's "Hymn of the Nations" at the 1862 London International Exhibition.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Leaning Tower Disco

If Italy had built a dancefloor on the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the 70s and 80s would've witnessed a quaking architectural marvel, shaking to the tunes of synthesized beats: That's right, Italy birthed the captivating genre known as Italo disco in the late 1970s and early 1980s, blending dance, pop, and electronic music styles with catchy, English-sung melodies. Oh, the synth-tastic fun!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Stresa Festival's Musical Buffet

If music be the food of love, then Italy's Stresa Festival is an all-you-can-eat buffet with extra helpings of jazz and baroque: This eclectic music fest has been keeping audiences entertained for over 60 years, and does its part for the planet by being a Green Festival. So why not grab a newsletter and a boat, and sail to a concert at the stunning Lake Maggiore shoreline?
Source => stresafestival.eu

6. Devilish Violinist

In a time before musicians made deals with reality TV shows, one violin virtuoso was rumored to have struck a bargain with the devil himself: Niccolò Paganini, a legendary violinist, toured solo at the mere age of 15, performing without sheet music, and earning himself whispers of having sold his soul for his unmatched talent, although these claims remain unfounded and purely folkloric.
Source => classicfm.com

7. Italian Multicultural Conservatories

When Italians aren't impressing us with their pasta-making skills or giving us a run for our money in a thrilling game of bocce, they're jamming to the tunes of Indian Ragas or getting in touch with their spiritual side through Liturgical beats: Italy boasts 58 music Conservatories and 21 Officially Recognized Institutes of Music, offering specialized study programs in unique genres like Indian Music, World Music, and Liturgical Music, as well as therapeutic Music Therapy programs in partnership with universities.
Source => aec-music.eu

8. Stradivarius or Fake?

Do you have a case of "Fiddle FOMO?" If the Stradivarius label on your violin isn't an authentic guarantee, it's sure to send you into a symphony-ony of laughter: Stradivarius violins might bear the label, but thousands of 19th-century copies were made, posing as masterpieces. Only the eagle-eyed experts can determine the legitimacy of a Stradivarius by scrutinizing design, wood, and varnish texture.
Source => si.edu

9. Herculean Sardinian Folk

If Hercules ever needed a jam session while completing his twelve labors, Sardinian folk music would be his go-to playlist: This ancient soundscape features the launeddas, a woodwind instrument akin to the Greek aulos, and the cantu a tenore polyphonic chant, which UNESCO declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Musical Melody Theft

What do Ludacris and Alfredo Mazzucchi have in common? They both know how to act a foo': Alfredo Mazzucchi sneakily composed the melody for "O Sole Mio" in 1897, only for Eduardo di Capua to purchase it a year later and claim it as his own—until a wise judge heralded Mazzucchi as the rightful composer in 1972! Talk about getting away with musical daylight robbery, but nothing could rob Italy of its love for this classic tune.
Source => en.wikipedia.org