Milan is marking the 30th anniversary of Maria Callas' death with a series of events, at La Scala Theatre, scene of some of her legendary performances.
The opera house is hosting a show of her costumes as well as an exhibit of 200 behind-the-scenes photographs, many of which are from the singer's private collection and have never been shown in public.
The photos capture Callas relaxing between rehearsals, laughing with fellow singers, having her make-up applied and waiting nervously in full costume for the curtain to go up.
The commemorative events come to a head on September 16, when La Scala opens its doors for the premiere of Philippe Kohly's feature film Absolute Callas. "Maria Callas was a musical genius and at the same she was a woman who wanted to be the queen of a frivolous world," said Kholy, referring to the singer's pursuit of a jet-setting lifestyle.
The Greek diva died on September 16, 1977 at the age of 54.
The cause of her death remains unclear although there has been speculation it was due to heart failure brought on by overuse or overdose of sleeping pills.
The soprano made her debut at La Scala in December 1951 in I Vespri Siciliani and was in her prime in the 1950s when the Milan opera house was her artistic home.
The theatre went on to stage a number of productions in which she starred with acclaimed directors like Luchino Visconti and Franco Zeffirelli.
Milan Mayor Letizia Moratti said officials were still putting the finishing touches to another project which will see the city's designers presenting fashion collections inspired by the soprano's style.
"She was a great actress, a complete artist in the way she commanded the stage, imbuing every part with her personality," said Moratti.
Callas still has a cult following in Italy where she is often simply referred to as La Divina.
"Along with Mother Teresa of Calcutta she was the most important woman of the 20th century," said Zeffirelli, who made a 2002 biopic about her called Callas Forever.
VOICE WITH 'MAGICAL QUALITY'.
Conductor Carlo Maria Giulini once described her voice as "a very special instrument" with "a magical quality".
Maestro Victor de Sabata told British record producer Walter Legge: "If the public could understand, as we do, how deeply and utterly musical Callas is, they would be stunned".
Opera impresario Sir Rudolf Bing believed that "one movement of her hand was more than another artist could do in a whole act".
The singer was born to Greek parents in December 1923 in New York but at the age of 13 she moved with her mother to Athens. She make a name for herself in the Greek opera world with war-time performances that won rave reviews.
Callas established her international career in Italy after the war with the help of her first husband, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a wealthy Italian industrialist and opera lover.
Meneghini remained her manager until 1959, when she left him for shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.
During the relationship Callas practically gave up the stage, leading the international high life as Onassis' companion in the 1960s until the tycoon dropped her to marry President John F. Kennedy's widow Jackie in 1968.
Callas became a recluse and passed away two years after Onassis, who died in 1975.
The costume exhibit at the La Scala museum opens on September 14 and ends on January 31 while the photography show in the theatre's 'Arturo Toscanini' gallery runs from September 14 to November 30.
