Verdi lived and composed in the villa for 50 years.

The Italian state has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Villa Verdi, home of the great composer Giuseppe Verdi, Italy's culture ministry announced on Monday.

Verdi lived and composed in the building, located in Sant'Agata di Villanova in the Piacenza area of northern Italy, from 1851 until his death in 1901.

The state is to formally take possession of the Villa Verdi on 28 February 2025, along with its grounds, park and "extraordinary collection" of furnishings, letters, works of art and personal items belonging to the composer.

In a statement, the culture ministry said the acquisition of Villa Verdi represents "a fundamental step for the protection, conservation and enhancement of one of the symbolic places of Italian culture and musical history" whose importance "goes beyond national borders".

Firmato il decreto di esproprio del compendio “Villa Verdi e pertinenze”, a Villanova sull’Arda (PC), località Sant’Agata. Il provvedimento sancisce l’acquisizione definitiva da parte dello Stato dell’ultima dimora di #GiuseppeVerdi.
Scopri di più: https://t.co/lqSFDYoH9N pic.twitter.com/V7QOluhYVC— Ministero della Cultura (@MiC_Italia) December 16, 2024

The purchase will allow the state to carry out urgent restoration and maintenance work on the house-museum, part of which dates to the 16th-century.

“Villa Verdi is the symbol of Italy’s cultural greatness and the place where the Maestro found inspiration for many of his immortal compositions", culture minister Alessandro Giuli stated, adding that the aquisition will guarantee the building's protection as "a heritage for all".

The villa was purchased in 1848 by Verdi who drew up designs for its expansion personally, modifying and enlarging the building precisely as he wished.

The house-museum contains musical treasures such as the Viennese piano with which many of Verdi's greatest works were composed, including Il Trovatore and La Traviata.

The villa has stayed completely unchanged, exactly as Verdi left it, however in recent years his descendants had faced financial difficulty managing its upkeep, hampered by costly restoration works due to water infiltration.

Last year opera houses across Italy joined a fund-raising campaign to help the state buy Villa Verdi after it was put on the market in 2022 following a two-decade dispute between the composer's heirs.

Supported by the culture ministry, the Viva Verdi initiative saw 14 opera foundations each hosting a performance of Verdi's music and operas, with the proceeds going towards helping the state to buy the home.

Photo Ministero della Cultura