THE MURALS DEDICATED TO GIUSEPPE VERDI IN PARMA

In the vibrant heart of Parma, a city that epitomises opera and Italian art, the genius of Giuseppe Verdi finds new life through the colours and forms of Street Art. Along the walls and underpasses near the railway station, two distinct yet complementary projects recount the greatness of the Maestro in a contemporary urban key, while preserving that indelible shade of memory and tradition.

The Murale by Nabla & Zibe: Urban Art meets Opera
In 2017 artists Nabla & Zibe, among the most recognised figures on the Italian urban scene, created an impressive mural dedicated to the Swan of Busseto, located near Parma’s railway station, along the walls of the underpass. The work forms part of the “Parma Street View” project, conceived to merge the immediacy of street art with the emotional depth of Italian opera.
Upon the walls stands a majestic portrait of the composer from Busseto, immersed in a visual composition that evokes the strength of his melodies and the dramatic spirit of his characters. The bold tones and meticulous detail reflect the energy of Verdi’s music, transforming an ordinary urban wall into a true cultural statement. The mural thus becomes a symbol of how public art can make great music accessible, bringing citizens and travellers closer to the figure of Giuseppe Verdi in an entirely new and unconventional way.


“Va’ Pensiero” and the International Urban Art Festival
A short distance away, specifically in the underpass between Via Reggio (Ponte Europa roundabout) and Via Spinelli, another innovative project paid tribute to Giuseppe Verdi during the International Urban Art Festival “Segni Urbani & Meeting of Styles”, held in Parma in October 2023.
On that occasion, 46 Italian and international artists transformed the underpass into an open-air gallery, taking inspiration from the famous chorus of Nabucco and translating it into artistic form: “Va’ Pensiero”.
More precisely, the chosen theme was “Va’ Pensiero…Go Thought from Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco”, an invitation to reflect on peaceful and harmonious relations among peoples, opposing all forms of physical and moral violence and every kind of oppression.
The event was made possible thanks to the contribution of the Municipality of Parma, Teatro Regio, the Verdi Off Festival and Fondazione Cariparma, with the support of Aurora Domus. It was also held under the patronage of the Emilia-Romagna Region and RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana). The walls, filled with colour and symbolism, reinterpret the message of hope at the heart of Verdi’s work, while the Maestro’s face appears across several artistic graffiti pieces as a symbol of creative freedom and historical-cultural pride.