Music of Piedmont

The Piedmont has played an important role in the development of music, in general, in Italy, due to the presence of medieval monasteries in that area, institutions that were great preservers of manuscripts in the Middle Ages as well as being geographically well located to connect to musical influences from northern Europe. As well, the political dominance of the Royal House of Savoy leading up to its eventual installation as the ruling dynasty of united Italy was important. Musically, the Teatro Regio in Turin was one of the fine, old opera houses in Europe, stemming from the 1730s. Also from that period is the Teatro Carignano, which in the late 19th century was the venue for some of the early works of Giacomo Puccini.