I Vespri siciliani • La Scala Milan

The Sicilian Vespers • Giuseppe Verdi • from 28 January to 21 February 2023

Giuseppe Verdi composed the opera I VESPRI SICILIANI in five acts, the libretto was written by Eugène Scribe. A new production of the La Scala Theater with historical backdrops and visionary flights of fancy. The historical background is the uprising in Sicily in 1282, during which the people rose against the reign of terror of the French under Charles of Anjou on Easter Monday. The uprising began at Vespers in Palermo, led by Giovanni da Procida. The opera is set in Palermo, where French soldiers meet vengeful Sicilians. The Duchess Hélène, whose brother was murdered by the French, sings a freedom song that incites the Sicilians to resist French rule. Giovanni da Procida, returned from exile, welcomes his homeland and calls on the Sicilians to fight. The opera is about betrayal, conspiracy, intrigue and revenge. While Hélène and Henri want to get married and wish for reconciliation between the Sicilians and the French, Procida demands the liberation of Sicily. As the bells ring, the Sicilians rush into battle against the French.