Teatro alla Scala

History

The Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este commissioned the construction of a new Ducal Theatre when a fire burnt down the previous theatre in 1776. The opera house was built on the site where the former site of the Church Santa Maria alla Scala, hence the name of the Teatro alla Scala.

Like other theatres of the same period, La Scala also housed a casino during its early years.

In 1943, during World War II, the theatre was badly damaged by bombing. It was reconstructed three years later. In 2002, the Opera House was closed for two years while it was renovated and opened in November 2004 with an opening performance of Europa Riconosciuta by Antonio Salieri, which is the same opera that was performed when the theatre was inaugurated in 1778.

Many famous operas have had their first production in La Scala, such as Othello, Nabucco by Verdi, and Madame Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini.

During its early years, the composer Giuseppe Verdi did not want his work to be represented in the Teatro alla Scala because he was convinced that the orchestra modified his compositions. Nevertheless, he then established a very close relationship with the Opera House.

Theatre Museum

The Theatre Museum contains a large collection of paintings, busts, costumes, and several other objects related to the world of opera and theatre.

The visit includes discovering the theatre’s grand foyer, an elegant and sparsely decorated hall. Then you'll be taken to the small box seats covered in red satin, where the high society enjoyed and still enjoys the various operas and ballets performed in La Scala.

The enormous auditorium is made of wood and covered in red velvet, adorned with golden-coloured stuccos. The stage is lit by a huge Bohemian crystal chandelier with 383 bulbs.

A pleasant visit

The tour of the Theatre Museum is extremely interesting because you'll get to see parts of La Scala that are otherwise off-limits, like the boxes.

If you would like to visit Teatro alla Scala, you can only do so by either purchasing tickets to one of its operas or ballets or by visiting the Theatre Museum.

Piazza della Scala

Between the Theatre and the Galleria Vittorio Manuel II is the Piazza della Scala, a lively square with a large statue of Leonardo da Vinci in the centre. Here you can rest on the benches surrounded by pretty greenery.