BIRTHPLACE OF GIUSEPPE VERDI

In the heart of Roncole Verdi, a small village in the Parma lowlands, stands the birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi, one of the most evocative stops along the Verdi heritage trail. It was here, at 8 p.m. on October 10, 1813, that Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was born to father Carlo and mother Luigia Uttini. This is confirmed by the birth certificate written in French, which was the official language at the time, as the territory was part of the Taro Department under French administration.

The building, simple and rustic, served both as an inn and a general store run by his father, while his mother worked as a spinner. Although popular tradition long depicted Verdi as a poor, uneducated peasant, more recent studies reveal that he came from a family of small landowners who were far from illiterate. According to local legend, as Verdi was being born, a group of itinerant musicians played festive tunes for the feast of Saint Donnino, the patron saint of the diocese, seen as a musical omen for the newborn’s future.

Today, the house is a museum that preserves an authentic atmosphere: its bare, unadorned rooms move visitors deeply, evoking the humility of the Maestro’s origins. Verdi himself, in a letter dated 1863, proudly affirmed: “I was, am, and always will be a villager from Roncole”.
On the facade, a plaque from 1872 commemorates the wish of the Pallavicino family, then owners of the house, to preserve it unchanged through time. Over the years, additional commemorative plaques have been added, including one from 1901, erected by the local poor in gratitude for Verdi’s generosity.
In the small garden in front of the house stands a bronze bust by sculptor Giuseppe Cantù, installed in 1913 to mark the centenary of Verdi’s birth.

Today, thanks to careful restoration and a modern multimedia setup, Giuseppe Verdi’s Birthplace has become a deeply moving landmark for those seeking to rediscover the man behind the myth, in the place where it all began.