This is not only a chandelier. This is not only a logo.
Dear Friends,
Today I would like to show our beautiful chandelier and to tell you its story from a place you all know well, the Royal Box. This box has welcomed you though the past editions of the Festival Verdi and we really hope you will be able to enjoy an opera from this box again, very very soon.
This chandelier was forged in 1853 as a gas chandelier by the famous Parisian foundry of Auguste Lacarrière and despite its apparent lightness, it is 177 inches high and wide, and it weighs about 2500 pounds. It is one of the finest artifacts ever created by the foundry, together with the chandeliers of Opéra Garnier in Paris and of Opéra de Monte-Carlo.
At its top stood a bronze pedestal, adorned with three 27.5 inches tall statuettes, allegories of the dance, comedy, and tragedy, which were removed in 1913 to improve visibility from the gallery.
The larger circle is decorated with twelve chubby dancing cherubs and the smaller circle below shows six performing and cheering cherubs that strike the most varied poses. The bohemian crystals that adorn the chandelier are shaped in form of stilettos, drops and floral motifs.
The edges of this chandelier have inspired your logo, and as it was back then, this chandelier is still a sign of openness towards new horizons. Your past and present donations help keeping the lights on, even during these dark times.
We never felt alone with you by our side and with the launch of the website dedicated entirely to you, we want to feel even closer.
So, dear Friends, see you soon!
Marina Sabristov – Teatro Regio di Parma Tour Guide, External Relations Department.