“He was a genius on the run.
From his times, from mediocrity,
from the revolution,
from music of the future,
from his country, from obviousness,
from pedants, from modernity.
Of course, like everyone else,
also from himself.”
Alessandro Baricco

The National Rossini Museum tells the story of Gioachino Rossini’s life and stature as a composer, and gives an account of the current status of his operas. Rossini was born in Pesaro on 29 February 1792 and is one of its most illustrious citizens.

Visitors can enter the world of Rossini, arranged like an opera, a musical metaphor for a life lived to the full. A fascinating itinerary, set out in ten rooms that follow the various steps of the composer’s life and the endless production of operas during his career, all framed by the historical background at the time and the places and characters associated with him. (relatives, teachers, impresarios, singers, musicians, politicians, kings).

The Ouverture is the Hall of Mirrors where the Pleyel piano that belonged to the Maestro takes pride of place. It has been restored and is available to be played during meetings, conferences and concerts. The space is then separated into two Acts and an Intermission, i.e. a video area where you can watch excerpts from his most renowned masterpieces like “Il barbiere di Siviglia” (title of the libretto: Almaviva, ossia L’inutile precauzione) (The Barber of Seville), “La Cenerentola” (Cinderella), “La pietra del paragone” (the touchstone), “Mosè in Egitto” (Moses in Egypt) e “Guillaume Tell” (William Tell). The first ‘act’ tells the story of Rossini’s birth and early days, his climb up the ladder of success and trips in Italy; the second ‘act’ gives more information on his mature stage, trips in Europe and his move to Paris where he died in 1868.

In a charming neoclassical setting, the tale unwinds through each room, each with a different colour and frescoed ceilings showing beautifully preserved mythological themes, with pictures, busts, artefacts, original musical scores, librettos and sets; they are equipped with the latest multimedia and interactive supports designed to enhance the experience. Extraordinary documents and materials are ordered scientifically thanks to help from the Rossini Foundation, and there are videos of famous editions of the Rossini Opera Festival.

The museum provides a unique, compelling, dramatic depiction of a long artistic and sentimental journey, packed with anecdote; his life was filled with melodrama, both serious and comic, with sadness and love incredible fiascos and great successes; a life that straddled revolutions, political restorations, theatres, salons, historic characters and intellectual upheavals including the age of enlightenment, neoclassicism and romanticism. An epic that cuts across the cultural movements of Europe between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and continues to this day.

He plays the leading role, the son of an age that generated the first pop star in the history of European music before the term was coined: Gioachino Rossini.
The museum stages events and temporary exhibitions on all music eras, the history of music and sound.

The National Rossini Museum is located on the main floor of Palazzo Montani Antaldi, a prestigious building in the historical centre; it is the jewel in the crown of the Rossini itinerary in Pesaro, City of Music, which also includes the Rossini Theatre, Casa Rossini, Palazzo Mosca – Civic Museums, the Rossini “temple”, Palazzo Olivieri and the Rossini Foundation library (on the ground floor of the building).