OperaCamion - May in the Square (Gianni Schicchi)

Opera returns to the square in Montevarchi

On July 3, 2026, Montevarchi becomes a stage: OperaCamion - May in the Square arrives in Piazza Varchi. This traveling project by the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino brings opera to town squares across Tuscany for free. The town in the Valdarno, in the heart of the Arezzo province, is the only stop in the area for a 2026 tour visiting seven Tuscan squares.

A truck that becomes a theater

The concept, simple yet spectacular, features a large truck that pulls into the square, opens its sides, and transforms into a full-fledged open-air stage. It is not just a mobile platform, but what director Fabio Cherstich calls a "dramaturgical machine": the vehicle itself becomes the set and theatrical architecture. The audience experiences the show just steps from the artists, with no barriers, no tickets, and no formalities.

Puccini's Gianni Schicchi

The opera chosen for 2026 is Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini, a brilliant one-act piece with a libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, set in Florence in 1299. It is a theatrical comedy filled with cunning, disputed inheritances, and plot twists, and is the source of the world-famous aria "O mio babbino caro". The production is directed by Fabio Cherstich, with images and animated drawings by Gianluigi Toccafondo that accompany the performance with an immersive visual language. On stage are the young talents of the Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Academy orchestra.

A popular and free project

OperaCamion was born in 2016 from an idea by Cherstich and Toccafondo: to bring opera back to where it was born, among the people, when musical theater was a popular, traveling spectacle for squares and fairs. In Montevarchi, admission is completely free: citizens are invited to bring a chair from home or watch while standing. The project is promoted by the Fondazione CR Firenze with the support of the Tuscany Region.

Why you should be there

• A free Puccini opera, outdoors, in the center of Montevarchi.
• An original and immersive production with a live orchestra, singers, lights, costumes, and animated videos.
• The only stop in the province of Arezzo on the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino's Tuscan tour.
• A chance to discover Tuscany and the Valdarno on a unique summer evening.