In June of 1800, the air in Rome is crackling with tension: With Austrian oppression having replaced French oppression, the fate of the Roman Republic now depends on Napoleon. Politics and political terror have become essential parts of Roman life, and the might of authority even extends to the love between a painter and a celebrated opera diva, who find that life can produce situations that are more dramatic than those on the stage.

One of Puccini's most shocking operas, Tosca deals with love, power, violence and the limits of human nature.

Photo by Éder Vera