Opera Magna - an economic strategy about building a cathedral in Renaissance Florence

How does Florence begin its great construction project?

Renaissance Florence becomes the setting for one of the greatest architectural projects of its time. In Opera Magna, players take on the role of Workshop Masters who manage the acquisition and processing of materials for the construction of Santa Maria del Fiore. Wood, marble, metal, and sand pass through the hands of skilled craftsmen and become the materials needed for the great project.

The game is illustrated by Lara Ongis, while Opera Magna was designed by Tommaso Battista and Stefano Castelli. At the heart of the game is a world of workshops and trade connections that help a major architectural project get the resources it needs.

To make this possible, players send their merchants to Venice, Constantinople, and Antwerp. These cities represent different centers of Renaissance trade. Through them, workshops gain access to raw materials and new trading opportunities. Venice was connected to rare materials and pigments from the East, Constantinople linked European and Asian trade routes, while northern Antwerp supplied construction projects with wood, metal, and other materials.

Your task is to turn these resources into a working production system and gradually send processed materials to the construction of Opera Magna. The game lasts nine rounds, so there is not much time to develop your workshop and find the best opportunities.

Why does trade keep changing your plans?

In Opera Magna, merchants travel to three cities where players can obtain the resources they need and gradually build their own production chain. Trade cards change throughout the game, so the available goods and opportunities are constantly updated. This makes it important to watch the market and choose the right moment for each deal.

The raw materials you acquire can then be developed inside your own workshop. Lead, wood, marble, and sand become bells, planks, columns, and glass. These refined materials can be used to construct buildings or sent to the great construction project.

As the workshop develops, it becomes more efficient. Buildings provide new abilities, discounts, and ways to process resources, while some of them allow players to send more materials to the Opera. Simple trading gradually becomes a complete production system that must be developed within nine rounds.

How does your workshop become part of the great Opera?

The development of your workshop eventually leads players to the construction site itself. The Opera Board contains 12 Worksites representing different parts of the future cathedral. Players send refined materials there once their workshop is ready to provide the required resource and has the necessary certificate level.

Each contribution becomes part of the larger construction project. The more demanding the Worksite, the higher the requirements for materials and workshop development. The first Workshop Master to contribute to a specific Worksite also receives its special effect, making the choice of where to contribute almost as important as gathering the resources themselves.

Over the course of the game, players gradually leave their own mark on the construction of Santa Maria del Fiore. Some may focus more on developing their workshop and buildings, while others may put greater emphasis on contributing to the Opera. Victory, however, comes from several elements. The final score takes into account completed buildings, workshop development, certificates, refined materials, and contributions to the Worksites.

Who is Opera Magna for, and what can you expect from the campaign?

Opera Magna should appeal to players who enjoy medium-weight economic games where there is no single obvious path to victory. You will need to watch the market, develop your workshop, manage certificates, choose the right buildings, and decide when it is better to invest in your own development and when to send a valuable material to the shared construction project.

The game may be especially interesting for players who enjoy economies that create new challenges as they develop. The market changes after players take actions, buildings gradually shape each workshop's unique set of possibilities, and Worksites offer additional effects and points. Even with the same starting structure, no two games are guaranteed to unfold in the same way.

Opera Magna is currently available on Gamefound as part of a campaign from Ludus Magnus Studio. The campaign started on September 1, and the Gamefound Express format is expected to ship the game in October 2026. The campaign also offers the core game together with the exclusive The Eagle & The Lion expansion.



If you want to first experience the atmosphere of the Florentine construction project and see whether its pace suits you, Opera Magna is already available as an online version on Tabletopia.