Hotel Cecil

A plaque bearing the playwright’s likeness on the wall of this building commemorates the fact that Henrik Ibsen, the most famous of Norwegians, lived here. There was no question of friendship between Ibsen and Grieg, yet the playwright did like the talented composer from Bergen. They met in Rome many times. Ibsen was moved to tears when Nina Grieg sang him her husband’s songs to his words. And when he finally gathered himself to offer his gratitude, he could only mutter: ‘That’s what I call understanding!’