▁day ▁were ▁regular ▁guests . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁Wagner ▁visited ▁Ross ini ▁via ▁an ▁introduction ▁from ▁Ross ini ' s ▁friend ▁Ed mond ▁Mich otte ▁who ▁some ▁forty - five ▁years ▁later ▁wrote ▁his ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁gen ial ▁conversation ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁compos ers . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁Ross ini ' s ▁few ▁late ▁works ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁given ▁in ▁public ▁was ▁his ▁Pet ite ▁mes se ▁sol enn elle , ▁first ▁performed ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁Ross ini ▁was ▁made ▁a ▁grand ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁Leg ion ▁of ▁Hon our ▁by ▁Napoleon ▁III . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁short ▁ill ness , ▁and ▁an ▁un success ful ▁operation ▁to ▁treat ▁col ore ct al ▁cancer , ▁Ross ini ▁died ▁at ▁Pass y ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁sevent y - six . ▁He ▁left ▁O ly m pe ▁a ▁life ▁interest ▁in ▁his ▁estate , ▁which ▁after ▁her ▁death , ▁ten ▁years ▁later , ▁passed ▁to ▁the ▁Comm une ▁of ▁P es aro ▁for ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁L ice o ▁Music ale , ▁and ▁fund ed ▁a ▁home ▁for ▁retired ▁opera ▁sing ers ▁in ▁Paris . ▁After ▁a ▁fun eral ▁service ▁attended ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁four ▁thousand ▁people ▁at ▁the ▁church ▁of ▁Sainte - Tr in ité , ▁Paris , ▁Ross ini ' s ▁body ▁was ▁inter red ▁at ▁the ▁P ère ▁L ach a ise ▁C emetery . ▁ ▁In