The opera 'Francis and the Sultan' comes to Italy

The opera 'Francis and the Sultan' will be performed in Italy from 20 to 25 May. After last November's success in Beirut, where the premiere took place in front of more than 1,500 spectators, the performance will be on tour in several cities in Italy. The opera was produced by the Custody of the Holy Land and was inspired by the meeting between St Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malek al Kamil in Egypt in 1219. It features the music of Lebanese composer Khalil Rahme. It is based on the libretto written by Professor Bartolomeo Pirone, edited by Br Riccardo Ceriani and translated into Arabic by Dr Teresa Francis, an art teacher at the Lebanese University. Five performances are scheduled from 20 to 25 May at 8 pm: on the 20th at the Cathedral of Monopoli, on the 21st at the Cathedral of Bari, on the 22nd at the Cathedral of Brindisi, on the 24th at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi and on the 25th at the Basilica of Ara Coeli in Rome. “We hope that through this opera the message of peace and fraternity launched in Damietta 800 years ago between St Francis and the Sultan Malek al-Kamel will reach the extreme ends of the earth - commented Br. Quirico Calella ofm, a friar of the Custody of the Holy Land from the Tripoli monastery (Lebanon) who conceived and planned the opera -. The path of dialogue, of brotherhood and of peaceful coexistence is and remains the only way to go and the successful solution for Lebanon, the Middle East and for the whole world.Pope Francis has said this many times in his speeches and during his tris to Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq and Abu Dhabi,where he signed the document on “Human Brotherhood” together with the Grand Imam of Cairo, DrAhmad Attayyeb.”