The police confiscate more than 126,000 euros from Alexandre Pereira

Pereira, who resigned in February from the stage manager position he has held since 2019, is said to have used the establishment’s credit card for private, non-contractual expenses. These are said to be unrelated to his job – eg. B – For transportation or accommodation in hotels or trips by plane or helicopter.

A court in Florence ordered the confiscation of the funds, under pressure from the public prosecutor. Pereira is accused of, among other things, allowing two foreign institutions to pay the rent of his private house in San Cassiano Val di Pesa near Florence.

The 75-year-old resigned as director of the Florence Opera House in February. He explained his resignation for “private reasons”. Pereira’s lawyer recently confirmed that Pereira’s expenses of around €60,000 are under scrutiny. On the other hand, his client has collected around ten million euros in sponsorship money for the theatre.

The investigations against Pereira were launched under pressure from the right-wing Fratelli d’Italia party, the group surrounding Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. According to media reports, Pereira then tendered his resignation under pressure from Florence’s mayor, Dario Nardella. In March, the Florence Opera House was placed under the supervision of a government commissioner. Cultural Director Nene Kotaya has been appointed as Special Director.