Opera is a traditional Italian performing art, popular throughout Europe, featuring a combination of music, drama, acting, and staging. Its roots trace back to late-16th-century Florence, where a group of intellectuals, musicians, and poets called the Florentine Camerata sought to reconstruct ancient Greek theater on the premise that its works were all originally sung.

The knowledge and skills related to Italian opera singing, a technique called bel canto, are transmitted orally between a maestro and pupil through vocal exercises and the gradual introduction of different musical repertoires and styles. Performances in recitals, singing schools, and workshops also contribute to the transmission of the practice, as well as formal education in conservatories and academies. Furthermore, the beginning of an opera season often coincides with local festivities and ceremonies.

The practice promotes collective cohesion and sociocultural memory, and is closely linked with other cultural elements, such as acoustic places and poetry. It is also dependent on other professions such as stage and light design, costume tailoring, scenography, and makeup. A means of expression and intergenerational dialogue, its cultural value is recognized at national and international levels.