“Barezzi’s house, on the great market’s square, was one of the most important in Busseto; above the warehouses on the ground floor, the family had its home – which included a spacious room where the Philharmonic Society met to rehears, two or three times a week. Signor Barezzi […] indeed was not only a good businessman, but most importantly a great fan of music, and this is what he is mostly remembered for”.

In Austrian writer and playwright Franz Werfel’s description (translated from “Verdi. L’uomo nelle sue lettere”, Castelvecchi, Rome 2007), we meet the man who first noticed Giuseppe Verdi’s talent. His name was Antonio Barezzi, and he welcomed the “Swan of Busseto” into his house when he was still a child, encouraging his passion for music and becoming his patron.