Corte dei Miracoli are one of the many one-album treasures of the Italian progressive rock scene — a Savona band, unusual for fielding two keyboardists and no guitarist, who left behind a single lush, keyboard-driven symphonic album in 1976. Melodic, complex and richly atmospheric, it is a rewarding find for those who have already explored the genre’s biggest names.

The short version

Formed in Savona in 1973, Corte dei Miracoli built a keyboard-dominated brand of symphonic prog, their twin-keyboard, guitarless line-up setting them apart. Their sole album of the era, the self-titled “Corte dei Miracoli” (1976), arrived just as the prog wave was receding, and the band split soon after. Recalling the likes of Banco, Le Orme and ELP, it is a fine, if lesser-known, example of Italian symphonic rock.

Savona, 1973: two keyboards, no guitar

Corte dei Miracoli — their name, “Court of Miracles”, evoking the quarters where beggars and outcasts once gathered — formed in 1973 in Savona, in Liguria. The band was closely linked to another local group, Il Giro Strano, in which keyboardist Alessio Feltri played simultaneously. What made Corte dei Miracoli distinctive was their instrumentation: rather than the usual guitar-led setup, they built their sound around two keyboardists and no guitarist at all. The original second keyboardist, Michele Carlone, left just before the album sessions and was replaced by the experienced jazz pianist Riccardo Zegna, completing a line-up rounded out by singer Graziano Zippo, bassist Gabriele Siri and drummer Flavio Scogna.

Lush, keyboard-led symphonic prog

As their line-up suggests, Corte dei Miracoli were all about the keyboards. Their music was rich and symphonic, built on the interplay of Hammond organ, synthesizer, lush string-ensemble sounds, Fender Rhodes and jazzy piano, with strong, romantic Italian vocals over the top. Melodic and often melancholic, full of intricate instrumental passages and frequent tempo changes, their sound recalled the keyboard-led grandeur of Banco, Le Orme and ELP, with jazz inflections courtesy of Zegna’s background. Though perhaps not the most original of bands, they played with genuine skill, and their best moments reach a real symphonic grandeur.

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Corte dei Miracoli

The band’s sole album, the self-titled “Corte dei Miracoli” (1976), was released on the small Grog label — run by New Trolls’ Vittorio De Scalzi, also home to Celeste. Its five long compositions are dominated by the dual keyboards, opening with the standout “…E Verrà L’Uomo” and ranging from dreamy, folk-tinged calm to bombastic, hard-edged passages. The band had in fact recorded an earlier album, “Dimensione Onirica”, back in 1973–74, but it went unreleased until 1992. By the time the debut appeared, the prog tide was turning, and Corte dei Miracoli disbanded in the summer of 1976, leaving this one official album behind.

Album by album

A single, keyboard-rich symphonic album. Tap the title for its guide.

The players and afterwards

Corte dei Miracoli were a band of capable, experienced musicians: singer Graziano Zippo, keyboardists Alessio Feltri and Riccardo Zegna, bassist Gabriele Siri and drummer Flavio Scogna. After the band split, several pursued further careers — Feltri returned to Il Giro Strano, jazz pianist Riccardo Zegna continued in the jazz field, and drummer Flavio Scogna went on to a distinguished career in contemporary classical music as a conductor and composer. Corte dei Miracoli themselves, though, remain known for their single, much-collected album.

Where to start

There is only one record: “Corte dei Miracoli” (1976). Its opener, “…E Verrà L’Uomo”, is the obvious highlight, and the album as a whole offers lush, keyboard-driven symphonic prog with fine musicianship. Not a first-rank classic, but a rewarding listen, it is one for those who have worked through the giants of Italian prog and are hungry for more.

Why they still matter

Corte dei Miracoli are a fine example of the remarkable depth of the Italian progressive rock scene — a band who, with their unusual twin-keyboard, guitarless line-up, made one lush and accomplished symphonic album before quietly disbanding. Though they never reached the heights of Banco or Le Orme, their record has a real charm and grandeur, and has earned a devoted following among collectors of the genre. For anyone exploring Italian prog beyond its most famous names, Corte dei Miracoli are a worthwhile and rewarding discovery.

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