Teatro San Carlo, Naples 🎶🎹🏛

The oldest functioning opera house in the world

The San Carlo Theatre is an opera house in Naples, Italy. The theatre was opened on 25 December 1737 by Charles VII of Naples and is now the oldest functioning opera house in the world. The building was designed by Nicola Antonio Lazzarini, who also designed many other theatres around Italy at the same time. This style has been then called Italian theatre layout and has been the point of reference for the architecture of theatres for the following two centuries. .The first opera to be performed at the San Carlo was “La Rosmira fedele”. The composer of the opera was Antonio Vivaldi and the librettist was Antonio Salvi. The first performance took place on 7 January 1738. After almost 300 years, the theatre is still in operation today and it is home to many performances throughout the seasons, including operas, ballets, symphonies and concerts.

With a history spanning three centuries and a central place in the history of opera, the San Carlo Theatre in Naples is one of the most famous opera houses in the world. Despite its grandiose dimensions, it started as a court theatre for King Charles VII of Naples and it was physically adjoined to the Royal Palace in Naples. Since its opening, the San Carlo Theatre has hosted many operas and composers including Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Donizetti and Wagner. As an example, the first performance of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi took place at the theatre in 1853.

The history of the San Carlo theatre in Naples is long and rich. Built as a grand opera house for royalty and nobility in Naples, it has been home for the most celebrated composers and singers of all times and has been the stage where some of the most famous operas ever written have been premiered and performed. As all public venues, also the San Carlo has been hit by the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and it stopped staging performances for a couple of years. The photo on the right refers to the curtain call for one of the first operas staged after the pandemic, Otello by Verdi, in December 2021.