Puccini’s Last Days in Brussels

Learn about the final days of the great composer Puccini in the Belgian capital, his battle with cancer, and the city’s role in opera history.

We normally associate Giacomo Puccini with the grand opera houses of Milan, the quiet Tuscan lake where he wrote, and the soaring melodies of La Bohème and Madame Butterfly. But Brussels played a poignant – and final – role in his life.

Puccini: From a musical family in Tuscany

Puccini was born on 22 December 1858 in Lucca, in what was then the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Music ran through his veins: he was the fifth generation of a long line of Puccini musicians. By the age of five, he was already playing the organ at his local church. He studied at the Milan Conservatory and wrote his first opera, Le Villi, at just 20 years old. His early career had its ups and downs – Edgar was a disappointment, but Manon Lescaut brought him success. And then came the operas that would secure his reputation forever.

The masterpieces we all know

If you’ve ever hummed O Mio Babbino Caro or been moved by the tragic fate of Mimi in La Bohème, you’ve felt Puccini’s magic. His best-loved works include:

• La Bohème (1896) – a tale of love and loss in the garrets of Paris
• Tosca (1900) – a dark drama of love, politics, and betrayal
• Madame Butterfly (1904) – the heartbreaking story of Cio-Cio San
• Turandot (1924) – his final, unfinished opera, famous for “Nessun Dorma”

Today, these operas are global classics – but their premieres were not always smooth.

Puccini in Brussels: Madame Butterfly’s revival

When Madame Butterfly premiered in Milan in 1904, it was a disaster. The audience jeered, and critics tore it apart. Puccini reworked it – changing it from two acts to three – and slowly, the opera gained recognition.

In 1909, Puccini travelled to Brussels, where Madame Butterfly was presented at La Monnaie in the presence of Princess Clémentine. Memories of the Milan debacle still stung, so Puccini attended rehearsals himself to make sure everything was perfect. The visit marked one of his many connections with the Belgian capital.

His battle with cancer

By 1924, Puccini was ill. He was diagnosed with throat cancer, a devastating blow for a man whose life revolved around music and voice. At the time, Belgium and Germany were pioneering radium-based cancer treatments – an experimental therapy thought to offer hope. Puccini, who knew Brussels from previous visits, agreed to travel there for treatment.

His final journey: To Brussels

Puccini checked into a now-vanished clinic on Avenue de la Couronne in Ixelles. Doctors inserted radium needles into his throat in a last attempt to halt the disease. But tragedy struck. On Friday, 28 November 1924, just after the treatment, Puccini suffered a severe heart attack. He lingered for eighteen hours, his son Tonio and daughter Fosca at his side, as well as the Apostolic Nuncio and the Italian ambassador.

On Saturday, 29 November 1924, at 11:30 a.m., Giacomo Puccini died in Brussels. He was just 65. He died at Rue Royale 294, which was later named “Hotel Puccini” (although it wasn’t a hotel), and now is the headquarters of Familiehulp, a home care organization.

A city says farewell

The news reached Italy immediately. Prime Minister Benito Mussolini announced Puccini’s death in the Chamber of Deputies. Flowers filled the room where his body lay – Puccini dressed in a suit, gloves on his hands, the Italian flag at his feet.

On Monday, 1 December, a funeral Mass was held at the Royal Church of St. Mary in Schaerbeek. Diplomats, Belgian royal representatives, and musicians attended. The soprano Laure Berge, who had sung Tosca at La Monnaie, performed Gounod’s Ave Maria.

After the Brussels ceremony, his coffin was taken by train from Gare du Nord to Italy. A grand funeral followed at Milan Cathedral, before Puccini was laid to rest in his beloved villa at Torre del Lago – the lakeside home where he composed so many masterpieces.

Puccini’s quiet Brussels legacy

Today, little remains to mark Puccini’s final days in Brussels. The clinic on Avenue de la Couronne is gone. But I wonder whether at 294 Rue Royale in Saint-Josse, where Puccini stayed during one of his visits, the walls still hold whispers of his arias and melodies?

Denzil Walton

I created Discovering Belgium in 2011 to share the country’s hidden stories, fascinating places, and remarkable people. Through articles, photography, and audio walks, I share discoveries that reveal Belgium beyond the obvious. Hope you enjoy this site.