The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma is Rome's most important opera house and was opened in 1880 as Teatro Costanzi. The magnificent hall with around 1,600 seats and four tiers of boxes was comprehensively renovated 1926-1928 under the Fascist regime. World premieres took place here — Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana in 1890 and Puccini's Tosca in 1900. In summer (June-August) the Opera di Roma moves its performances to the spectacular ancient Baths of Caracalla, an open-air stage with the Roman ruins as set design. Arturo Toscanini already conducted open-air operas here. The summer season is one of the atmospherically most unique operatic traditions in the world.
At the Baths of Caracalla, the stage structures must be erected each summer without touching the ancient ruins — heritage rules forbid any anchoring into them.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Location
- Rome, Italy
More venues in Italy
- Arena di Verona · Opera house, Verona
- Artisti in Piazza · Multi-genre theatre, Pennabilli
- Gran Teatro all'Aperto Giacomo Puccini · Opera house, Torre del Lago
- Piccolo Teatro di Milano · Theatre, Milan
- Sferisterio di Macerata · Opera house, Macerata
- Teatro Alighieri · Opera house, Ravenna
- Teatro alla Scala · Opera house, Milan
- Teatro Amilcare Ponchielli · Opera house, Cremona
- Teatro Carlo Felice · Opera house, Genua
- Teatro Coccia · Opera house, Novara