Catherine Deneuve, Philip Glass, Ivano Fossati, and Gino Paoli amongst the protagonists of the fifth edition of Verona's festival, which takes place from 27 May to 10 June.
On 27 May, composer Philip Glass’ piano opened the fifth edition of the Festival della Bellezza (Festival of Beauty). Organised by IDEM and sponsored by Cattolica Assicurazioni, the event ushers in the great summer of culture in Verona. 
“Our choice to back this event ties in with Cattolica’s desire to contribute to the city’s value as a highly popular place of culture,” stressed Emanuela Vecchiet, Communications Manager of the Group. “Starting this year, with the intention of putting this commitment to the people of Verona into action, we have extended our support to various other cultural bodies and festivals and renewed our support for initiatives that, over time, have already demonstrated an ability to create a valued offering. The Festival della Bellezza is one of these. As the number of sold out events in previous years has shown, it caters to the tastes of a wide and mixed audience, not only winning over the many tourists that choose to holiday in Verona, but the locals themselves, who have the opportunity to rediscover their own city through an event on such a large scale.”

Artistic innovations from the 1960s and 70s and the birth of the classic song are the underlying theme of the shows, which until 10 June, will bring the striking stages of the event to life: the Teatro Romano, the Teatro Filarmonico and the Giusti Garden. Amongst the guests expected to attend are international icons such as Catherine Deneuve and Philip Glass, protagonists from those years of cult movements in cinema and contemporary music. That’s not all: Michele Serra and Paolo Jannacci will commemorate Enzo Jannacci in music and lyrics, while the inspiration of Lucio Dalla will be brought to the stage by artists close to him, including Ron and Ornella Vanoni. As in previous years, part of the festival is dedicated to theatrical reflections on the “maestros of the mind”, the great architects of thought. Philippe Daverio will lead a lectio magistralis on Vivaldi, Dante and Giotto, and Massimo Cacciari will investigate the relations between Beethoven, Chopin and romantic philosophy. Two theatrical events are also planned: Vittorio Sgarbi in a debate with the genius of Leonardo, and Federico Buffa with a monologue on the existential crossroads of the geniuses of late twentieth-century culture.
The full programme is available at www.festivaldellabellezza.it