| La Flora, o vero Il natal de' fiori | |
|---|---|
| Opera by | |
 Frontispiece by Alfonso Parigi for the libretto, published in 1628 | |
| Translation | Flora, or The Birth of Flowers |
| Librettist | Andrea Salvadori |
| Language | Italian |
| Premiere | 14 October 1628 Teatro Mediceo, Florence |
La Flora, o vero Il natal de' fiori (Flora, or The Birth of Flowers) is an opera in a prologue and five acts composed by Marco da Gagliano and Jacopo Peri to a libretto by Andrea Salvadori. It was first performed on 14 October 1628 at the Teatro Mediceo in Florence to celebrate the marriage of Margherita de' Medici and Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma.[1] Based on the story of Chloris and Zephyrus in Book V of Ovid's Fasti, Salvadori's libretto contains many allegorical references to the transfer of political power, the beauty of Tuscany, and the strength of the Medici dynasty. The score of La Flora is one of only two still in existence out of Gagliano's 14 published stage works. Several of its arias are still performed as concert pieces.
- ^ Gagliano and Court (2011) p. ix