When Frank Maselli was in Rome on a Saturday night three years ago, he happened upon an outdoor concert in the piazza. A handful of singers were belting out opera arias to a piano accompaniment.

"I listened to them and said to myself, 'This would be perfect for our Piazza d'Italia,' " Maselli said, referring to the outdoor plaza in New Orleans between Poydras and Lafayette streets. Designed as a replica of a Roman fountain and public square, the Piazza d'Italia is directly behind the American-Italian Cultural Center, of which Maselli is the chairman.

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Source: http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com