The characters in the opera The Visitors are escaping the Black Death by sheltering in a villa outside what city
The Visitors (opera) The Visitors is an opera in three acts and a prologue composed by Carlos Chávez to an English libretto by the American poet Chester Kallman. The work was Chávez's only opera. Its first version, with the title "Panfilo and Lauretta", premiered in New York City in 1957. The final version with the title "The Visitors" was premiered in Guanajuato, Mexico in 1999, twenty years after the composer's death. The story is set in 14th century Tuscany during the time of the Black Death. The libretto (like those for "Pagliacci" and "Ariadne auf Naxos") uses the device of a play within a play to reflect and intensify the relationships between the protagonists, who in this case are loosely based on characters in "The Decameron".
Teatro Regio Ducal The Teatro Regio Ducal (Italian, "Royal Ducal Theatre") was the opera house in Milan from 26 December 1717 until 25 February 1776, when it was burned down following a carnival gala. Many famous composers and their operas are associated with it, including the premieres of Mozart's "Ascanio in Alba", "Mitridate, re di Ponto", and "Lucio Silla". The opera house also saw the premiere of Maria Teresa Agnesi Pinottini's "Ciro in Armenia" in 1753; one of the earliest successfully received operas by a female composer. Variant forms such as "Regio-Ducal Teatro" and "Teatro Regio Ducale" are also seen.