The Due Torri Hotel in Verona has many a tale to tell. The hotel, which boasts a very long tradition of hospitality, began life in the 14th century as the Palazzo dell’Aquila, or Palace of the Eagle, when it served as the La Scala family guest quarters. It has welcomed  crowned heads – such as the Emperors of Austria – political figures such as Joaquim Murat, Radetzky, Garibaldi and, later, Margaret Thatcher and Henry Kissinger, artists such as Maria Callas, Domingo and Pavarotti, but also David Bowie, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Sting and Adele. Verona is a crossroads in the heart of Europe and this luxury hotel has often found itself at the centre of the stage. As in 1769, when a very young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart stayed here with his father.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart came to Verona for the first time with his father Leopold on December 27 1769. The city was a stage on his Italian Journey, an experience enjoyed by young nobles and artists to enrich cultural training. According to historical documents, the two found lodgings at the Albergo Due Torri in Piazza Anastasia, the modern-day Due Torri Hotel. Mozart was already a star. At the invitation of the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona, on January 5 1770 he performed in the Sala della Conversazione, now the Sala Maffeiana for a fee of 18 sequins. On January 7, he played in the Church of San Tommaso. On that occasion he insisted on trying the church organ, with its distinctive sounds. His initials, which he engraved on the instrument with a pen knife, are still visible today. But the most important memento of that first visit to Verona is a canvas: the portrait of Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart at the age of 12, painted at the time and attributed to the Veronese artist Giambettino Cignaroli. It was commissioned by Pietro Lugiati, an official of the Republic of Venice and an admirer of the young musician, who became his regular guest every time he passed through.