Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Rome's Teatro dell'Opera, also known by its founding name Teatro Costanzi, opened in 1880. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium, designed by Achille Sfondrini, was conceived to carry the human voice; its stage later hosted landmark premieres by Italian composers.

Why it matters

The theatre became an important stage for Italian opera. Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana premiered here in 1890, and Giacomo Puccini conducted the world premiere of Tosca in 1900. Under soprano Emma Carelli's management in the 1910s, the theatre presented works including La fanciulla del West and Il Trittico.

What to notice

Sfondrini designed the auditorium as a resonant horseshoe, with tiers of boxes, an amphitheatre and a gallery. Annibale Brugnoli's painted dome crowns the hall, while a chandelier of about 27,000 crystal drops was installed for the theatre's 1928 reopening. The current appearance also reflects later work by architect Marcello Piacentini.

Context and history

Builder Domenico Costanzi commissioned Sfondrini in 1879, and the theatre opened on 27 November 1880 with Rossini's Semiramide. The City of Rome purchased it in 1926, and it reopened in 1928 as the Teatro Reale dell'Opera. It received its present name in 1946. The Teatro dell'Opera's summer performances at the Baths of Caracalla began in 1937 and resumed in 2001 after a later interruption.