A day in Montalto Uffugo, the home of Ruggero Leoncavallo

Did you know that the village of Montalto Uffugo, in the province of Cosenza, has a special connection with the Neapolitan musician and composer Ruggero Leoncavallo?

Montalto Uffugo and Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857-1917) form an inseparable duo. This connection dates back to the famous composer's childhood, when he found inspiration here for his most famous work, 'Pagliacci'.

Let's discover the story that links Ruggero Leoncavallo to this area, a stop on a tour following in the footsteps of musicians and composers in Calabria.

What is the connection between the great composer Ruggero Leoncavallo and the village of Montalto Uffugo? His childhood years, when his father, appointed magistrate, moved to Montalto Uffugo from Naples with the whole family. Here, the young Ruggero Leoncavallo met the man who would become his first music teacher: Canon Bonelli, who introduced him to the study of the spinet. The same musical instrument is still on display today at the Institute of the Ardorini Missionaries in Montalto Uffugo, one of the places most closely linked to the memory of Ruggero Leoncavallo.  

In addition to his musical beginnings, the career of the young Ruggero Leoncavallo was marked by a criminal act that took place on 5 March 1865, which he himself witnessed: on that day, one of the servants working for the Leoncavallo family, Gaetano Scavello, was fatally wounded by one of the D'Alessandro brothers at the end of a performance by clowns and street artists in the square. The event and the location, in the historic centre of Montalto Uffugo, inspired Ruggero Leoncavallo to compose his most famous work: Pagliacci (1892).

Today, the Ruggero Leoncavallo Museum, located in the Town Hall, honours the memory of the great composer and his fruitful stay in Montalto Uffugo through an exhibition of musical scores, books, letters, manuscripts, paintings and other precious memorabilia belonging to or related to the Maestro. The International Opera Festival, which takes place every year in August, is also dedicated to Ruggero Leoncavallo.

Not only places linked to Ruggero Leoncavallo! Montalto Uffugo is a town rich in art, history and natural beauty waiting to be discovered. A stroll through the historic centre reveals palaces, noble churches and the oldest history of the town: the original Roman Aufugum, which the Normans renamed Mons Altis, one of the most important military garrisons in the area. The pride of Montalto Uffugo is the Cathedral of Santa Maria della Serra (15th century), one of the most representative monuments of the Baroque in Calabria, recognisable by the staircase designed by architect Niccolò Ricciulli. During the Aragonese period, Montalto Uffugo became an important reference point for monastic orders, in particular the Carmelites, who, together with the philosopher-astronomer Paolo Antonio Foscarini, founded the Montaltina Academy of the Uncultured. Another important, albeit painful, historical event was the so-called Massacre of the Waldensians in 1561, which targeted the ethnolinguistic minority that still preserves its original culture today.

Among the most important buildings in the centre are Casa Castelli and Palazzo Ruffo, Palazzo della Cananea (17th century), Palazzo Nardi (17th century), Palazzo Alimena (16th century), Palazzo D'Alessandro (16th century) and Palazzo Sacchini (16th century), almost all examples of Spanish-style architecture, with ornate portals and wrought-iron balconies. Also of interest are the Church and Convent of San Francesco di Paola, the Church of San Domenico and the Church of Carmine. In the heart of the historic centre, you can admire the remains of a 15th-century Jewish shop, evidence of an active Jewish community of Spanish and Sicilian origin linked to the ancient production and trade of silk.