AP PHOTOS: Artists in this former pasta factory preserve Italian opera traditions

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AP PHOTOS: Artists in this former pasta factory preserve Italian opera traditions

2025-05-02 12:19 Last Updated At：12:42

ROME (AP) — A faded, four-story building that was once a pasta factory now houses the warehouse and bustling workshop of the Rome Opera House. The building is home to a trove of scenic backdrops and 70,000 costumes from over a century of performances.

This year, the opera house’s costume designers, tailors and seamstresses have working to reconstruct the original outfits of Giacomo Puccini’s Opera “Tosca.” It is a tale of passion and deception set in Rome in the 1800s, featuring a dark-haired beauty forced to commit murder to protect her dignity and the man she loves. This year marks the 125th anniversary of its first-ever performance.

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A plate celebrates the 125th anniversary of the first ever performance of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the foyer of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on stage costumes in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes laboratory, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Historical costumes from Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera are on display inside the foyer of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Danilo Mancini, director of set production, left, oversees designers as they work on the project of stage canvases in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Buckets of paint used for stage canvases are seen in a laboratory of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Photos of projects and stage canvases used for previous performances of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera are hang on a wall of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A set designer prepares paint for a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Michele Mariotti, right, director of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house orchestra, practices in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Set designers work on a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A set designer works on a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Anna Biagiotti, head of tailoring at the Rome's Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, walks in the house's costumes warehouse, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Musicians of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house orchestra practice in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

More Images

A plate celebrates the 125th anniversary of the first ever performance of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the foyer of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on stage costumes in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes laboratory, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Historical costumes from Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera are on display inside the foyer of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Danilo Mancini, director of set production, left, oversees designers as they work on the project of stage canvases in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Buckets of paint used for stage canvases are seen in a laboratory of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Photos of projects and stage canvases used for previous performances of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera are hang on a wall of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A set designer prepares paint for a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Michele Mariotti, right, director of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house orchestra, practices in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Set designers work on a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A set designer works on a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Anna Biagiotti, head of tailoring at the Rome's Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, walks in the house's costumes warehouse, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Musicians of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house orchestra practice in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Olympic legends reunite in Los Angeles to kick off ticket registration for 2028 Games

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nadia Comaneci, Apolo Ohno, Bart Conner and Cullen Jones were among the more than 300 Olympic and Paralympic athletes who gathered Tuesday under the peristyle at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where the Summer Games will open in 2028.

In an effort to promote Wednesday's registration launch for tickets to the Los Angeles Games, the athletes representing 28 different Olympics dating to 1960 joined Janet Evans in a short countdown to the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron against a clear blue winter sky.

“LA is committed to delivering an athlete-centered games and that can only happen if athletes are actually at the center of our planning,” said Evans, the Olympic champion swimmer who is chief athlete officer for the LA28 organizing committee.

The get-together felt like a homecoming to Ohno, the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian ever with eight short track speedskating medals.

“I walked in and I literally saw like 50 of my friends that I'd grown up in the Olympic training center with for many years,” he said. "I haven't seen some of these people for 10 years or more."

The athletes met with LA28 officials beforehand, with several offering suggestions on how to improve the athlete experience.

“We have the athlete voice in the areas that really need to be heard,” said Jones, the retired swimmer who joined the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last summer as associate director of athlete marketing. “I'm really excited to see what LA28 looks like.”

Conner noted that with the majority of venues already built in Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, which will host softball and canoe slalom, organizers can focus on the competitors. The three-time Olympic gymnast capped his career at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

“The athletes know that they're the center of every decision,” he said. “It's not just like, let's call the athletes and see what they think about it. The athletes are already in all the board meetings. I understood today that there's more athletes involved in leadership here in the Olympic organizing committee than there are at the IOC.”

Nearby, Comaneci twirled for photographers under the peristyle. The Romanian gymnast became a teenage superstar at the 1976 Montreal Games, where she earned the first perfect 10.0 mark in Olympic history. She and Conner will mark their 30th wedding anniversary in April.

Registration opens at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday at Tickets.LA28.org. It's the first step for a chance to secure a time slot to buy tickets starting in April. After registering, fans will be randomly assigned time slots to buy tickets throughout future ticket releases.

Individual tickets, hospitality packages including tickets and packages involving travel and accommodations will also go on sale later this year.

AP PHOTOS: Artists in this former pasta factory preserve Italian opera traditions

AP PHOTOS: Artists in this former pasta factory preserve Italian opera traditions

A plate celebrates the 125th anniversary of the first ever performance of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the foyer of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on stage costumes in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes laboratory, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Historical costumes from Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera are on display inside the foyer of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Danilo Mancini, director of set production, left, oversees designers as they work on the project of stage canvases in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Buckets of paint used for stage canvases are seen in a laboratory of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Photos of projects and stage canvases used for previous performances of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera are hang on a wall of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A set designer prepares paint for a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Michele Mariotti, right, director of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house orchestra, practices in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Set designers work on a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A set designer works on a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Anna Biagiotti, head of tailoring at the Rome's Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, walks in the house's costumes warehouse, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Musicians of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house orchestra practice in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A plate celebrates the 125th anniversary of the first ever performance of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the foyer of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on stage costumes in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes laboratory, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Historical costumes from Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera are on display inside the foyer of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Danilo Mancini, director of set production, left, oversees designers as they work on the project of stage canvases in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Buckets of paint used for stage canvases are seen in a laboratory of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Photos of projects and stage canvases used for previous performances of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera are hang on a wall of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A set designer prepares paint for a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Michele Mariotti, right, director of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house orchestra, practices in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Set designers work on a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A set designer works on a stage canvas in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Anna Biagiotti, head of tailoring at the Rome's Teatro dell' Opera" opera house, walks in the house's costumes warehouse, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Musicians of the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house orchestra practice in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A tailor works on a stage costume for Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" opera in the "Teatro dell' Opera" opera house costumes warehouse, in Rome, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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