In 1848, when revolutions convulsed Europe, the Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi wrote these lines to a friend:

"Imagine whether I wanted to stay in Paris when I heard that there was a revolution in Milan! I left immediately when I heard the news, but I've been unable to see anything except those marvelous barricades! All honor to our brave champions! . . . You may be sure that the hour of [Italy’s] freedom has struck. The people will have it so, and there is no power on earth than can resist them!"

In that frame of mind, Verdi crafted an opera on a patriotic theme, "La Battaglia di Legnano" or "The Battle of Legnano," which premiered on today's date in 1849 in Rome. It was a great success, but over time, as revolutionary fervor turned into repression, Verdi's opera ran afoul with Italian censors, and the opera's overt political message had to be softened considerably for its occasional revival performances during the rest of the 19th century.

Verdi died in Milan on January 27, 1901, over a half-century after the premiere of "The Battle of Legnano. By that time, Verdi was revered not only as a great composer, but also as an artistic symbol of Italy's eventual unification and statehood.