Farinelli in Bologna in “British Journal  for Eighteen-Century Studies”, 28/3, 2005, pp. 411-420.

Although born in Andria, Carlo Broschi called Farinelli had a close relationship with the town of Bologna for much of his life. He made his debut there in the summer of 1727 when only 22, at the Malvezzi Theatre, as Ceraste in Antigona by Giuseppe Orlandini (1767-1760), in a season memorable for the rivalry that developed between Farinelli and the more experienced Antonio Bernacchi (1685-1756).
On 6 July 1727, Bernacchi and Farinelli sang together in the church of the Jesuite Fathers, a success that was followed by a banquet at Bernacchi's home, where people drank several times the health of  "the modern pays that are paid to such virtuosos".  In  July 1730, Farinelli and his brother Riccardo (1698-1756) were admitted as honorary members to the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna, and in 1731, he was back at the Teatro Malvezzi, this time singing in Farnace by Giovanni Porta (1675-1755) with Bernacchi and the famous contralto, Vittoria Tesi (1700-1775).  Already, Bologna had already become the city where Farinelli mostly felt  loved and appreciated, a connection cemented in October 1732 when Bolognese citizenship was conferred on the Broschi brothers.  Farinelli then made a further commitment to the city in November 1732 by buying an estate out of Porta Lame, in the municipality of San Felice, in the parishes of Bertalia and Beverara, to enable him to build a villa where he would spend his retirement. These holdings were increased almost immediately by the purchase of the Bertalia and Beverara estates.

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