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Cecilia Bartoli Receives Italian Grand Officer Honour
The award followed her performance during President Sergio Mattarella’s state visit to Monaco.
Cecilia Bartoli received the insignia of Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic from President Sergio Mattarella on October 3, 2026.
The ceremony took place at the Hôtel Hermitage during Mattarella’s two-day state visit to Monaco, the first by an Italian head of state.
The previous evening, Bartoli performed at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo with Les Musiciens du Prince, conducted by Gianluca Capuano. Those attending included Mattarella and his daughter Laura, Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène and the Princess of Hanover.
Bartoli said the recognition held special meaning because of her attachment to Italy, and emphasised culture’s ability to connect people and nations.
The mezzo-soprano has directed the Opéra de Monte-Carlo since January 2023, becoming the first woman to lead the institution. She had previously been appointed a Cavaliere in the same order.
Earlier in 2026, Bartoli appeared at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony. On June 2, she sang Lucio Dalla’s Caruso at celebrations marking the Italian Republic’s 80th anniversary, during a sequence devoted to Italian migration in the 20th century.