Andrea Bocelli’s New Concert Film Hits Theaters Today, and It’s a Glimpse Inside His Favorite Vacation Destination
"Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration" lets viewers experience Tuscany from the iconic Italian tenor's point of view. Andrea Bocelli while preforming on…
"Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration" lets viewers experience Tuscany from the iconic Italian tenor's point of view.
Andrea Bocelli while preforming on stage at the “Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration”, Andrea Bocelli celebrating his 30th anniversary in music .
Before the Taylor Swift effect took hold, boosting local economies all over the world as travelers descended on towns and cities just to hear her sing, there was the Andrea Bocelli effect. Go ahead and listen for yourself. After just a few notes, the Italian tenor’s rich, emotionally compelling voice will drive you to book a trip to Italy. Or, more specifically, to his all-time favorite destination: Tuscany.
"Tuscany is the place where I was born and raised and where I would like to live for the rest of my life," Bocelli told Travel + Leisure. After 30 years of traversing the globe to entertain the masses, it's also the place he chooses to spend most of his downtime.
"I think that in Tuscany, we have everything," he said. "We have art, we have amazing countryside, we have the mountains, we have the sea, we have everything you could wish for. When I can spend time at home I try to meet my friends … when I have a moment I go horseback riding in the countryside. These are the things I long for when I am away."
Andrea Bocelli
I think that in Tuscany, we have everything. We have art, we have amazing countryside, we have the mountains, we have the sea, we have everything you could wish for.
— Andrea Bocelli
And so, it was in Tuscany that Bocelli chose to celebrate his three-decade career milestone this summer with a three-day concert event at Teatro del Silenzio, an open-air amphitheater that's practically in his own backyard. "I would consider the Teatro di Silenzio my home," he said. "It's very emotional for me singing there."
He welcomed a star-studded crowd into his home theater for the event, singing duets with Shania Twain, Jon Batiste, Ed Sheeran, Russell Crowe, and more, while celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, looked on among a crowd of 30,000 guests.
Andrea Bocelli on stage together with Ed Sheeran.
Luca Rossetti
With Andrea Bocelli
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ITALIAN DISH?
Pasta carbonara.
OUTSIDE OF ITALY, WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO PERFORM?
The United States of America, my second home. New York is a city where I have performed practically everywhere, in the most iconic of venues, from Central Park to Madison Square Garden to Carnegie Hall.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOTEL?
I almost always stay at The Ritz-Carlton New York [Central Park].
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN ITALY?
My restaurants [Officine Bocelli in Lajatico and Alpemare in Forte dei Marmi] … I am biased. I created them, but I love them.
WHAT IS THE MOST ROMANTIC VACATION DESTINATION?
Porto Venere in Cinque Terre in Italy.
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FAMILY TRIP?
My children have many ideas, but for me, the ideal vacation is to stay at home.
Celeb Check-in
“He’s so Italian,” Kardashian says in the concert film, “Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration.” “He is Italy.”
When asked about her comment, Bocelli smiled. "I'm very pleased about this statement," he said. "I love my country, my language; if I am identified as Italian, I am really flattered."
The film, directed by Sam Wrench (who also directed "Taylor Swift — The Eras Tour"), premieres in U.S. theaters on Nov. 8. In addition to postcard-worthy Tuscan scenery and passionate performances, the film captures rare, behind-the-scenes glimpses of Bocelli in a relaxed and quintessentially Italian state, sharing beautiful meals at home with people he admires — and who clearly admire him.
Andrea Bocelli preforming with Shania Twain at the "Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration".
luca rossetti
Those people include his daughter, Virginia, 12, and son, Matteo, 27, both budding singers who have joined him in concert. They are also featured on the tenor’s new album, “Duets,” a 32-track collection he launched in October.
"It's a beautiful moment," Bocelli said of singing with his children. "It's amusing. It's a way to bond as a family, to feel together. The best thing you can do is to do nice things with your children."
As for his wish for the years ahead, Bocelli said he hopes to spend more time at home with those close to him. "Reality has by far exceeded my expectations," he said, "so probably my biggest aspiration and ambition is to have more free time to spend with my family and my friends in Tuscany."