Italian Opera Has Been Added to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added Italian opera singing to the list of intangible cultural heritage items. 

This information is available on the organization's official website.

"This is an official confirmation of what we already knew: opera singing is a world excellence," emphasized Italy's Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano.

The first opera considered to have been created in Italy is "Dafne" by Jacopo Peri. The piece was performed in Florence in 1598, specifically for the Medici family court. Meanwhile, Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643) is regarded as the first significant composer of opera.

"Italian opera singing is a physiologically controlled way of singing that enhances the carrying power of the voice in acoustic spaces such as auditoriums, amphitheatres, arenas and churches. Performed by people of all genders, it is associated with specific facial expressions and body gestures and involves a combination of music, drama, acting and staging," UNESCO describes.

Professional opera singers are distinguished by range and voice "color" - the timbre of the voice. The sound of the voice is divided into several registers - tenor, baritone, bass, soprano, mezzo-soprano, and alto.

Currently, Italy boasts approximately 60 opera theaters, considered an absolute world record. Also included in the UNESCO list of intangible heritage are Italian pizza making and conquering Alpine peaks.

UNESCO has also added Peruvian ceviche, Bangladeshi rickshaw art, Uzbek ceramic crafts, the weaving of ties in Côte d'Ivoire, and several other customs and traditions to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Recall that last month, Ukraine entered the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the first time. Currently, eight Ukrainian objects, including temples, ancient forests, and historical city centers, are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Recently, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee added the Sofia Cathedral in Kyiv, adjacent monastery structures, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and the ensemble of the historical center of Lviv to the list of objects at risk of disappearing. 

According to the committee members, "there are no longer optimal conditions to fully guarantee the protection of these objects of outstanding universal value, and they are under potential threat" due to Russia's regular attacks, resulting in the destruction of numerous cultural and historical landmarks in Ukraine.

Previously, The Gaze reported on cultural heritage objects that were completely lost or significantly damaged due to missile strikes by Russian terrorists.