Carro di Tespi Lirici

 The Carro di Tespi Lirici, or “Caravan of Lyric Thespians”, was a travelling troupe of artists created by Benito Mussolini to spread good opera throughout Italy. Artists were selected by a panel of judges led by then secretary general of the Fascist Party, Achille Starace. The caravan traveled by train with deluxe accommodations, and with all kinds of equipment in tow (complete with 4,000 chairs) to set up a makeshift theaters in small villages that had no real venues to see an opera. So they were usually held in the open air, or a village square. 

The traveling company had approximately 80 musicians and some of the finest singing talent such as Mario Basiola of The Met, and Dino Borgioli, Benvenuto Franci, Gina Cigna, Aurora Buades, and Iva Pacetti, all of La Scala. 

Around 1933, Della was one of the first (and possibly only) Americans cast in this troupe and she was selected to play Leonora in “Il Trovatore.”