It is Christmas day 2020 and the magnificent voices of Il Volo rise in Piazza PIO XII, in front of the splendor of the Vatican and St. Peter’s Square.
Let’s enjoy this beautiful Christmas show.
What can I say . . . Epiphany is far away but three princes have arrived in Rome.
A riot of voices and elegance, Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio sang three great Christmas classics with ardor and skill.
Superb performance that warms our hearts so much in this difficult year.
Here are their words:
GIAN = Good evening, on this very special day, in which, even if we are close, we are forced to stay away, we wanted to find a way to wish you a Merry Christmas.
IGNA = We did it in the way that best represents us, with music, in this extraordinary square, where it seems to be surrounded by two welcoming arms.
PIERO = The hope is that Christmas with its magic can bring a smile to your homes and warm your hearts. For our part, we will dedicate to you, every note and every word, of this Holy night.
GIAN = Merry Christmas.
IGNA = Happy New Year
PIERO = Good Life, from Il Volo and RAI 1.
But now I want to reveal something about the background of this beautiful event.
The video, directed by RAI, was recorded in the late evening of December 19th.
The square has already been prepared since the evening of the 18th.
On the 19th at 8 pm, Piero Ignazio and Gianluca arrived. First they underwent the rehearsals and then the final recording which was broadcast by RAI 1, the Italian national channel.
It was really very cold and to do the recording we saw, the guys were in the cold from 8pm until midnight. The cold was bitter and you can tell from the photos of the rehearsal.
The event was attended too by a good photographer, Giorgio Algherini, who took magnificent photos documenting the event. His photos have been around the world, but it is worth thinking about seeing them again!
(Click on each photo below to view a larger version.)
And this short video of the rehearsal.
When I saw these photos, I immediately went to the Facebook page of the photographer Algherini and I immediately noticed his nice comment :
“Nothing to add, only esteem for these guys.”
At this point I wanted to know something more, I contacted him and asked him if he had already had the opportunity to personally know Il Volo, and here is what he replied:
“I was very impressed by the guys, very simple but very professional, I had already seen them at a Clerici program, fantastic, unfortunately I have never attended one of their concerts but I promise that I will go to the next one.”
So I complimented him on his photos and told him they would go around the world.
Perhaps he did not know the potential of Volofamily, in fact after a few days he published this thanks:
“A very special thank you as 2021 will be very special for all of you groups and private fans of IL VOLO that had shared my photos and the small clip around the world, even today a share has arrived from Japan that I thank even more, I knew that the three boys were famous, but not so in world-wide!
A hug, thanks again.”
Well, Giorgio Algherini, congratulations on your work and we look forward to seeing you at a concert and you will further realize the skill of Il Volo and the affection they enjoy from all over the world.
Naturally, the Italian newspapers also talked about the event and Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, each from their Facebook pages, have posted this message:
On the evening of December 25th on Rai1official, we will sing in Piazza Pio XII, three wonderful Christmas classics.
An idea born because the Christmas we will experience this year will inevitably be different and we wanted to find a way to wish everyone happy holidays.
The splendid square that will be the setting for our exhibition will make the atmosphere even more suggestive and enchanted and we can’t wait to share it with you!
Here are a few more moments of the rehearsals registered by Giorgio Griego.
and then again …
It was a really good moment, too bad it’s already over.
After a long time, we enjoyed hearing their beautiful voices, especially at such a meaningful moment.
But how long will we still have to wait before we can still rejoice together during their beautiful concerts?
Piero Ignazio and Gianluca wanted to greet us with a comforting message, here it is.
GIAN = Hello friends from Verona.
IGNA = We should have seen each other in 2020, but we are ready to bring you a lot more music in 2021.
PIERO = See you soon: Happy Holidays.
Thanks to Il Volo for this beautiful Christmas gift.
As I have already said, three princes have arrived in Rome and have given us the gold of their voices.
And thanks also for the nice final message you gave us, I’ll be there at the Arena and with me many Volo-friends !!
See you soon ❤❤❤
Daniela
“The day will come when
in the inside pocket of a jacket,
inside the inside pocket of a bag
or in the glove compartment of the car
we will find, forgotten,
a crumpled old mask.
Looking at her
we will rub it in our hands
how to make sure
that I really lived that long nightmare.
As we close our hands, crumple those distant memories, we will breathe deeply free
to emphasize ourselves
how beautiful life is.” ❤️
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Splendid !!!
Mark, expectations are always high with the three of them, but Il Volo never disappoints us. They were great !!
A heartfelt thank you for this wonderful Christmas gift!
As I wasn’t able to view this on Rai1 from the U.S.
Buono Natale and Happy New Year to Il Volo and
their global family!
Chicago Love, it was impossible not to show you this beautiful gift.
Pat did everything possible to get it published immediately !!
Thank you for your coverage of this magical event.
It was on u-tube one hour later. Beautiful setting,
clear vocals, and I think they selected the best songs
for this time when we can’t gather for church services.
Loved your connection with the photographer as well.
Thanks Daniela, for getting this out to us so quickly.
Yes, Martha, it was short but intense and what a fantastic setting.
I just sent the link of our site and of this post to the photographer, I think he will gladly read it !!
❤️
Dear Cynthia, did you see what a beautiful gift our three princes have given us? Creepy!
yes♥️
the moment the video opened and showed Gianluca, it came to me right away, whoa! that’s a really cold evening!
yet, they cut through the ice and melted it and warmed my heart, our hearts….
Grazie, Daniela 🥰
Grazie Daniela!! You wrote this beautiful article from your heart and while reading it I felt the emotion and love that we all feel for our three endearing guys and they feel for us. It is a magnificent, emotional, meaningful and very special gift that they gave to the world in St Peter’s Square this Christmas….and they knew in their hearts that we really needed it this year.❤️
So true, Joanie!!
Thanks Joan, in fact I wrote things out of the heart, but also very obvious, because they are really very good and elegant, a flagship to show off with a lot of pride.
They have the power to make us dream!
Ciao a tutti! E Buon Natale at tutti! 🙂
Grazie mille, Daniela, for this beautiful post! I watched in awe on my computer this afternoon, thankfully, finding the right link! I adored O Holy Night, and Silent Night in Italian, was a special treat. You always go the extra mile – who would have thought to contact the photographer and I think he was in awe of the power of the Il Volo family of fans! 🙂 I hope you are able to stay in touch – maybe we can get a few more perks? For him, I hope he is able to attend their next concert! Your words also translate so beautifully. Next to Il Volo, I think you are Italy’s 2nd greatest treasure! For, without you, we would not know their most intimate thoughts and feelings, as translated by you! You always seem to have the inside scoop!
I’d also like to say at this time, a GRANDE Grazie Mille to Daniela, Pat, Jo Ann, and our newest contributor, Susan! You have been doing a tireless job of keeping our spirits soaring through this pandemic, keeping track of the guys. Ladies – I also appreciate you taking my ideas and “running with them!” 🙂 I feel bad that I haven’t been able to contribute much, and feel guilty about making excuses due to my health, etc., but it has been a crazy and rough few years for me with my varied health issues, working from home, as many of you probably are, or not being able to work at all! I am thankful to work for Ford. But it has been stressful, as well as uprooting myself and living with my friend about 15 miles from my home, during this whole time. My apartment was smoke-filled from the renter below me. I could not stand it 24/7, so I literally moved into my friend’s place, thinking it would only be for a month or so – ok, 9 months later, lol! I was able to find a new place a short distance from her condo. So, in the midst of all this, I also moved to a new apartment, smoke-free, the week before Thanksgiving. It’s been hectic and there are still many boxes to unpack!
This is the first real, downtime I have had since this all began to relax in my own space and not have any real obligations. It has been nearly a year and a half, but I have finally finished writing our 2019 Verona adventure! I still need to upload the pictures, but I hope to have a chapter or two, to keep you entertained for the end of the year and maybe a few more to begin the new year with! My Word program says it is 7761 words! So, we’ll see! 🙂
Pat – you really do an extraordinary job for this site!! I can’t thank you enough. When I recruited you, I definitely picked the right person! 😉
I sent a text and a phone call to Marie, but have not heard back yet, so I hope she is ok…
Love and thanks to all! Thank you also, to all of the new persons that are reading this site and commenting! I see many new names I have not seen before, and thanks to old friends that keep commenting. We appreciate all of you! And thanks to our many, many readers, who read us each day, even if they don’t comment. We look at the stats and some days the numbers are just staggering and from people all over the world! 🙂
Sorry for the long post/comment – it’s been a while…
Take care all and be careful – hope to see everyone at a concert soon!
I hope those planning for the Verona and Taormina concerts next year have a wonderful time!
Jana
jana, I appreciated reading your story! no sorries needed👍😉
Thank you, Cynthia!
You’re welcome, Jana. The pleasure is mine☺️
Jana, you are most welcome. It is my honor an pleasure to help with the Flight Crew blogs. It is truly a labor of love. I know some of what you have been through these last few years and I am glad you are getting settled and will be able to relax. Who would have thought all of this would come to be from our travels to Chicago in March 2017 to my first IL VOLO concert? I am very grateful for you and all of the ladies who contribute to this blog site. Let’s hope for a better 2021 with lots of IL VOLO concerts! 😀❤️
True, what if we had stayed at different hotels? We may never have met at breakfast! 😄
Jana, I thank you very much for the compliments. We know it has been a very hard year for everyone and a very hard year for you too, who have gone through a long move. But we were all here to support you and I would say that we are a really good team and you too will be more active now !!
The boys were fantastic, their voices, more and more majestic, and what about their beauty? I just sent the link of the post to the photographer, we have already promised to meet in June in Rome, Covid permitting! Thanks again Jana and I hope Marie is well.
Yes, Marie is doing well!
Grazie mille, Daniela! I’m sure the photographer will be thrilled. I sent the link to about 20 of my friends and several responded on how beautiful it was. I think they even have a new fan! 😉
Thank you, Jana, for your kind words! It’s been a pleasure working alongside Daniela and Pat! Their beautiful photos and layouts bring my words to life. Daniela seems to know what pictures and videos make my stories work. And Pat has my back every step of the way watching my every word and making sure the layout presents the story in the best light. I’ve never worked with a team like them before and I am very grateful to have them working with me now! Thank you all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
It’s been a pleasure talking to and working with you, Susan!! Buon Natale and Buon Anno to you! 😊
You are welcome! You write so beautifully, as well! Welcome to the crew!! 😄
It was great to hear from you Jana and I am sorry that you have been having health issues as well as the stress of moving. I hope you are feeling better and I wish you a healthy New Year.-!
I certainly agree that Daniela, Pat, JoAnn and Susan are doing a wonderful job for all of us Flight Crew Members and we appreciate how much time and effort it takes for them to keep us close to Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca. I hope you will soon hear from Marie
It was a beautiful Christmas gift to see and hear Il Volo singing for all of us to brighten our spirits in front of the magnificent Vatican and St. Peter’s Square! The photos were great and it did look very cold and to think Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca were there for four hours and were as always very simple and very professional.
Thank you, Margaret! 😃
Hello all! I was able to talk to Marie and her and her sister are doing well! ☺
I’m very glad to hear Marie and her sister are ok. I hope she still reads the blog! 🙂
I am working with some really wonderful people on this Flight Crew blog site! I could not wait to publish the post on Christmas evening after Daniela got it to me so quickly. It was my surprise gift to everyone! 😀 Hugs to you!
Thanks Margaret for your dear compliments.
That evening in Rome it was cold, but the professionalism of Piero, Ignazio and GIanluca overcame the cold and a masterpiece came out!
Ok, Daniela – a few questions – the guys are always so careful of their voices and don’t even want to be in air conditioning when it is too cold, why were they outside in the cold for 4 hours?? And why did they not wear gloves and no hats? Would have also thought they might have had heaters out there…..
As a personal note, the last time I saw that square, Lorna and I were exhausted from the Vatican museum tour and were trudging back across it from the basilica to find a taxi! It was a really long walk to the taxi stand!!
I also wondered why they were not wearing a cap or something over their heads…..
Cynthia, they couldn’t ruin the hairdressers’ job, I remind you that all the shops were closed and getting your hair done there in the cold wasn’t the best.
ohhhhh!!!!… Ok, grazie, Daniela 🥰
Jana, the boys were really frozen. Actually they wore gloves during rehearsals, except Ignazio, who was also the one dressed inappropriately, in fact if you look at the photos he put his hands in the sleeves because of the cold. In a video I heard that they were asking for hot tea, but even that was not easy to find, as all the bars were closed due to anti-covid regulations. Luckily they wore turtleneck sweaters, and if you notice, in the video, when they knew they weren’t recorded, they massaged their throats to infuse heat.
However, you know that our cold is very relative, in Rome they were not below zero, certainly not like certain temperatures in the US.
That is too bad, they should have thought ahead better to keep them warm and they still should have worn gloves. Hope they don’t get sick from this. There are always earmuffs, too! 😉
I looked up the weather that evening in Rome. it came to lowest at below 5 degrees C, which would be night time…..
Dear Daniela, I was not able to watch it live on TV, but thanks to you excellent article, I felt the same…
Merry Christmas to you and your crew , thank you for all the hard work, keeping us informed, happy, updated and in touch with our dear boys for all those years. Wonderful setting in that special place, St Peter square… that reminds me of concert scheduled there for June 5 th. When the tickets will go on sale, and as a fan club members, will we get again priority to buy it before in will go on market? I would fly there from US but I’m afraid I would not be able to get the ticket. Can you please find some info and let us know?
Please, keep writing, and be happy, healthy, safe,
Irene
Yes, Irene will also be a perfect setting for the Morricone tribute.
I will certainly keep you informed for this June event, but for what has been said, it will be a free concert, arranged by the Municipality of Rome. This means that the few seats will be given by invitation only and will be very few, but nothing prevents us from going to that beautiful square to listen to Il Volo. If the entrance will be with a free but numbered ticket (covid rules) they will surely let us know.
Thank you, Daniela! This was such a wonderful Christmas gift! I will be re-reading your article and re-watching the videos well into the New Year! God Bless you, and the Flight Crew and I pray for Christmas Blessings for everyone!
Barb, I’ve already watched that video countless times, and it’s wonderful, every time I notice more details and the voices, what voices, more and more beautiful.
Thank you for your compliments.
What a spectacular Christmas gift our guys gave to us today! Their performance was awesome.I
Daniela and Patti, your gift to us of the translation on the day of the concert was unexpected and most welcome! Thank you for your thoughtfulness, your time and your talent. Knowing what Gianluca, Ignazio, and Piero said only enhanced the viewing of the video.
Many blessings to you.
You’re welcome, Mary Jane. Daniela quickly sent the information to me and I could not wait to get it posted. I knew how happy it would make everyone to see our guys on Christmas Day. I was lucky enough to be able to watch it live so I knew how good the performance was and wanted to make sure it was shared as quickly as possible! 😊
Mary Jane, you are so kind and full of compliments, thank you very much, we try our best and we are happy that it is appreciated.
These guys deserve the best !!
Dear Daniela! You always bring us so much joy! But this time it’s more! I’ve been waiting for something new for so long, something exciting from our boys … I got it from your report! God bless! I want to write many more things, but with the translator it never turns out the way I want. I wish you a wonderful year, full of new emotions from our boys and health, so that you can show us their success and parts of their lives.
Ahtohena, we were all in a “withdrawal crisis” from Il Volo and seeing them so beautiful and hearing their voices so powerful and in great shape has soothed our hearts, and now we can better endure the constraints of the pandemic, which we are all doing.
Beautiful words Daniela, thank you very much for this article 🤩 I think we all thought the same while watching our Princes yesterday. Magnificent performance in fantastic place. Hope to see them in June there❤ 😘🇵🇱
Alicja, we all hope so much, and I also hope to meet you. I am sure that if you are there I will notice you, you are too euphoric in a positive sense !!
I agree with you, magnificent show, fantastic place, beautiful guys, phenomenal artists !!
Thank you again for your great message. Love to read all the wonderful remarks too. Merry Christmas & healthy new year. Marie
Thanks for the compliments Marie, but it’s easy, with Il Volo, to write beautiful things, they inspire us so much, with those sublime voices.
Thank you for the opportunity to see our young men sing. Oh, what beautiful voices!! I tried to get access to the telecast but couldn’t from the U.S.A. So, I was thrilled to get your message with the link!! Oh what joy!!! Thank you again!!!
Lucy Fein
Lucy, I’m even happier I brought you this video, which you weren’t able to see.
This is what we try to do, to bring their voices, to those who cannot hear them in other ways. Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio are very good and deserve our attention.
Once again you have delivered an outstanding article… You have graced us with more than just Il Volo’s performance in Rome, but background information of what our guys and the crew behind the scenes went through that cold night to give us this gift for Christmas…
Your attention to details and going far beyond of what we see in the video, by contacting the photographer was truly touching… By the end of your article I actually was emotional for you touched my heart…
Grazie Amica Mia…
Dear Jeannette, you are so sweet and the emotion is always in your heart.
Thank you for the nice compliments. I would say the guys were perfect, how can we not love these three beautiful princes who bring the gold of their warm voices ?? Did you know that those few minutes of recording made the “peak of ratings” on television? We know how much Il Volo is loved and now the photographer Algherini has noticed it too !! A kiss.
What a thrilling surprise to be able to watch this magnificent performance on Christmas night! And all the extra translation and photos as well. Grazie mille to you, Daniela, and to Pat for using much of your holiday to do this for us.😍 And who wrote the lovely poem? It made me cry.
Judi, it was a nice gift the boys gave us. You know we can’t leave the house here, so I didn’t sacrifice much and then I’m very pleased to share the joy of these songs with you all.
I really don’t know who wrote the final poem, I saw it and liked it and thought I’d send it to you!
You’re most welcome, Judi! It was my pleasure.
Dear Daniela Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful information about this special night the site was spectacular and the boys well what can we say outstanding as always, their voices incredible and they looked like heaven to me. So grown up and awesome. What a thrill to hear them sing live there is nothing like their voices live. They just know how to deliver. They are magnificent.
Luckylady , they were perfect and gave us a great gift.
Their voices ….. what about …. wonderful and always better!
why do I think of all of Italy as being warm and warmer ! same thing with Florida – guess I didn’t pay attention in geography class ….
I always thought the same thing, that Italy was always warm to hot, almost subtropical, being on the Mediterranean. I didn’t know that they also get snow in some places. I was surprised that they also wear winter coats and hats.
No Mark, Italy has a mild climate, but even if small, Italy has the possibility of having a very varied territory. In the north there are the Alps and therefore there are snowfalls and glaciers, I live in the north, but not so close to the Alps. In 1985 here where I live there was a big snowfall, about a meter of snow, it was an exceptional event , but even a month ago it snowed, but it only lasted one day. In central Italy (Rome) the climate is milder, but coats, gloves and headphones are still needed. In Southern Italy (Sicily) it is even milder and they often don’t use coats. But even in Sicily it snows, last week there was the flow of the Etna volcano, directly on the snow.
https://cdn.ilpost.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Roma-neve3-1.jpg?x72029
This is the same square two years ago, with snow.
And we will see it in June–with sun!
We have a mild climate, but not that hot !! Let’s say that here we have the classic seasons.
Daniela, thanks for taking the time to explain to me all the information on Italy’s climate-all things I did not know, in addition to all the other responses you take the time to provide for the other Flight Crew fans. Most interesting. When I saw palm trees in a lot of the pictures there I just assumed it was close to tropical climate there.
This is awesome. The guys look great, a little cold, but great. LOv the coats.
Joan, how elegant they are in their coats !!
I think they are Dolce & Gabbana.
Beautiful, very elegant and especially with spectacular voices.
Thank you daniela for the wonderful emotional performance made even more special by your remarks. I am not a Christian but it made me feel very connected by these wonderful three amazing guys. Every happiness and good health for the coming year. Lots of love from South Africa! xxx
And just as much love comes to you from Italy, Eileen.
We are happy to have readers from all over the world. I hope the situation there is good.
Happiness and health for next year to you too.
What a special Christmas gift. The knowledge of what all that each of you did to bring our special IL Volo “boys” to us at Christmas. I have already watched it 4 times. Their voices have developed even more since I saw them last March. Their voices even more beautiful. Daniela we are so blessed that you can actually be there and then share it with Pat and others to get it to us.
It’s true Kay, their voices have improved considerably, a sign that the rest has been great for them, but it also indicates that the boys continue to keep their voices trained. And this allows us to enjoy wonderful Christmas gifts, much appreciated!
I agree, Kay. We are so blessed to have Daniela. She is a treasure!
Loved this.
Thanks Kathy, it was great, a nice Christmas present.
Your beautiful gift of ILVolo brought joy after a quarantined Christmas. With many heartfelt thanks and wishes for a happy and healthy New Year to all.
And it really took this breath of joy, Boston girl, since we are all more or less quarantined. Hearing their voices makes our hearts happy, and seeing them makes us rejoice!
Dear ladies of the Flight Crew, you outdid yourselves this time. I can’t believe how quickly you got this finished. I tried watching the guys on RAI1 but it said not available outside of Italy. A FB friend in Italy was watching it live on their TV and put it on Instagram so we could see it as it was televised. The details you told us about really made it special, and contacting the photographer was a stroke of genius. This was just what I needed to make Christmas day a joyful event. Thank you to our boys and I hope to see them soon. I’m glad Igna finally put on a coat too.
Thanks dear friend for all these compliments.
How I wanted to be present at these shots !!
But there will still be many good times like this.
Seeing and hearing our dear guys encourages us to be confident, better times will come and we will embrace each other as we make up for these sad times. Igna was so cold, with that simple jacket ….. we all wanted to be there to warm him.
And I thought they were handsome in their Santa hats…and they are! But this was so, so totally beautiful. Their voices were so strong and clear. And the way they harmonize is beautiful beyond words I know to describe it…and they were out in the cold! Maybe part of the beauty is partly due to the utter quiet and peaceful surroundings…not all of their screaming, clapping fans; though if I were ever so lucky to go to one of their concerts I would certainly make myself heard!
The Christmas hats are adorable, but are they not so suave and sophisticated in this video.
Such wonderful posts that have come out in the last couple of weeks! Thank you again for the time you spend putting this all together for all of us eagerly awaiting them. Truly, thank you!
Shirley, they are always beautiful, but that night they were at the top.
Very elegant in their coats and high-necked sweaters.
The setting was perfect in that magnificent square and the direction was great, providing us with spectacular images and what about their wonderful voices? The whole was just perfect. The Top !!
That’s it! You have described what I felt, Shirley! The utter quiet made their performance more special……..and it had the reverence for the holy event that happened so long ago! They captured it perfectly!
i really look forward to all your posts, and this one came so quickly after the performance! Thank you for being so diligent . It has to be a labor of love for Il Volo and I appreciate it very much.
Maija, we knew you were looking forward to it.
It was a good team effort, we wanted to present this jewel to you immediately.
Thankyou Daniela and Pat for the lovely videos and pictures. The setting was beautiful and the boys were magnificent and looked so handsome and elegant. And yes Ignazio did look like he was freezing. I also did not realize Italy got that cold. Thankyou Daniela for the translations. The boys words were very heartfelt and special as always. It meant so much to be able to see the perform on Christmas, especially this year. Watching them sing was so moving and I believe a gift from above. The poem was a perfect ending. Thankyou again.
You’re welcome, Cathy! The guys’ performance certainly was a special Christmas gift for all of us.
Thanks Cathy, your sweet compliments, stimulate us to continue writing and updating you.
The words of the poem are not mine, but I found them perfect!
Thank you, Daniela, for sharing all these wonderful happenings with us who live so far away. It must have been very cold! Happy New Year! It must be better than 2020!. Dena Pitchfork, Mercer Island, Washington. U.S.A.
Yes, Dena, it was cold, but those voices, they heated everything.