From Penne to Puccini – Opera for every palate

20 June, 2008 marks the start of the world-renowned Verona Opera Festival. The festival, which is in its 86th year, is held in the magnificent setting of the Arena di Verona until 31 August 2008. The programme comprises five operas, with a total of 49 performances, involving all the artistic groups of the Arena di Verona: the Orchestra, Chorus and Corps de Ballet.

Specialist tour operator, Page & Moy (pageandmoy.com) is offering fans the chance to combine a visit to the festival with a relaxing stay in the beautiful surroundings of Lake Garda. If you’re crying out for an encore, there are also breaks to Torre del Lago for the Puccini Festival and Milan for a performance of La Boheme at the prestigious La Scala Opera House.

Lake Garda and the Verona Opera Festival - eight days from £724pp

Combine a stay in the charming village resort of Gargnano on the western shores of Italy’s delightful Lake Garda, with a visit to Verona’s impressive Roman amphitheatre for performances of Tosca, Carmen, Rigoletto or Aida. Oozing with the charm of somewhere untouched by tourism, Gargnano is the perfect base from which to enjoy walks through the surrounding hills and olive groves, whilst enjoying the stunning scenery and spectacular views. An included excursion visits medieval Mantua, the setting for Verdi’s opera, Rigoletto.

The eight-day break costs from £724pp and includes return flights from London Gatwick to Verona, transfers, seven-nights accommodation on a half-board and bed and breakfast basis in the popular, three-star family-run Hotel Meandro, tickets for two opera performances (Tosca, Carmen, Rigoletto or Aida), excursion to Mantua and the services of a Page & Moy opera expert. Departures are available on 26 June, 10 July, 7 and 14 August 2008.

Torre del Lago and the Puccini Festival – six days from £1,049pp

Each year in the summer months of June through to August, the beautiful Italian village of Torre del Lago plays host to the Puccini Festival. The festival celebrates the legacy of the great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini and in the past has seen performances by operatic legends including the late Pavarotti.

This year’s festival sees the unveiling of the new open air theatre on the edge of Lake Massaciuccoli, where you will have the opportunity to experience two of the composer’s famed operas - the tragedy, Madame Butterfly and Turandot, his last work. Accommodation is in the very birthplace of Puccini himself, Lucca.

Highlights include visits to nearby Pisa and Florence and the gardens of Villa Reale and Villa Collodi.

The six-day break costs from £1,049pp and includes return flights from London Gatwick and Coventry airports to Pisa, transfers, five-nights accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis in the four-star Hotel Celide in Lucca, tickets to two opera performances (upgrade available at a supplement of £28 per ticket), an excursion to the gardens of Villa Reale and Villa Collodi, train tickets to Florence, a walking tour of Lucca, plus a pre-theatre dinner with wine at a local restaurant and the services of a Page & Moy opera expert. Departs 1 August 2008.

La Scala Opera House, Milan – four days from £1,024pp

Combine a memorable trip to Italy’s renowned fashion capital – Milan, with a visit to the iconic, neo-classical Teatro alla Scala. The magnificent opera house opened in 1778 with a performance of Antonio Salieri’s opera L’Europa Riconosciuta. Since then its reputation as one of the world’s greatest venues has been second to none.

For over 200 years it has hosted countless operas and ballets, including works by such geniuses as Rossini and Mozart. City tours take in the numerous art galleries and shops, the Casa di Riposo Verdi and the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie to see Leonardo da Vinci’s famous fresco of The Last Supper.

The four-day break costs from £1,024pp and includes return flights from Heathrow, Birmingham, Gatwick and Manchester airports to Milan, transfers, three nights accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis in a four-star hotel in central Milan, first category tickets for a performance of La Boheme, a pre-theatre dinner in a local restaurant, two half-day guided city tours, a visit to Da Vinci’s The Last Supper and the services of a Page & Moy opera expert. Departs 11 July 2008.

For more information on these tours and more, go to Pageandmoy.com.