Two operas, two stories of overwhelming passion, and one shared musical tradition: Italian verismo. Cavalleria rusticana, by Pietro Mascagni, and Pagliacci, by Ruggero Leoncavallo, form one of the most iconic double bills in the operatic repertoire. The first takes us to a Sicilian village, where romantic entanglements lead to tragedy, while the second transports us into the world of a travelling theatre company, where jealousy and betrayal blur the boundaries between fiction and reality. Both works helped transform Italian opera in the late 19th century, bringing the passions and struggles of ordinary people to the forefront of the stage.