Randal Faulkner, a reader from Ramelton, in Co Donegal, got in touch about a trip to see an idol in Italy
Earlier this year some people paid up to €300 for two tickets to see Andrea Bocelli at the O2 in Dublin. We found a much better, and maybe even cheaper, way of seeing him.
Teatro del Silenzio, or Theatre of Silence, is a stunning open-air venue in the Italian opera singer’s home village of Lajatico, a little over half an hour south of Pisa. It is used one night a year, in July, after which the venue returns to silence.
I paid €100 for two tickets for unreserved seating. You can pay more, but our seats had a fantastic view of a spectacular show. There was a full orchestra (Sinfonica Abruzzese) and a magnificent choir (Nuovo Coro Lirico Sinfonico Romano), and Bocelli, who arrived on stage on a horse, was supported by Placido Domingo – how much would you pay to see him alone? – the Welsh mezzo Katherine Jenkins, a Slovene soprano named Sabina Cvilak, an unbelievable Italian flautist named Andrea Griminelli and a Brazilian singer and guitarist named Toquinho, as well as ballet dancers, acrobats and Buddhist monks.
Our flights, with Ryanair from Dublin to Pisa, cost €130, including taxes and the ridiculous credit-card charge. We didn’t need a hotel, but rooms in Pisa normally cost about €80 per night. Add car hire to get to the venue – say, €80 for two days – and, with our concert tickets, that adds up to €390. Not bad when you compare it with the O2 experience.
On a practical front, it worked like a dream. We drove straight to the free car park, where we picked up our tickets, then took a free bus for the five-minute drive to the venue.
You have to be prepared to queue to get through the ticket check, as well as for the toilets and at one of the very limited food outlets. You’ll need a sweater, too, as it gets cool by midnight, when this three-hour show ends. But make the most of the experience by going early with a picnic.
And book early: I bought my tickets in December, on vivaticket.it. Just don’t expect the same support acts next year – it can’t be Placido Domingo every time!
See teatrodelsilenzio.it