Shortly after turning 14 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-17919) preceded by his already established fame arrived in bologna with his father Leopold to meet Father Giovanni Battista Martini, the great Bolognese master of counterpoint.
The purpose of the visit was to obtain Father Martini’s guidance in order to take the examination at the famous Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna (still today in its old premises in Via Guerrazzi no. 13) and thus graduate as Maestro Composer.
After an initial brief stay at the end of March 1770, during which he gave a well-attended concert at the home of Count Pallavicini, Mozart returned to Bologna from 20 July to 10 October to prepare for the examination and successfully passed it on 9 October 1770.
The young Mozart’s paper is still kept in its original form in the Academy’s archives and the concert hall in via Guerrazzi has been named Sala Mozart in memory of and as a tribute to the guest who was so welcome and so influential.
