Teatro Sociale di Como

Como’s Teatro Sociale is a nineteenth-century lyric theatre inaugurated in 1813. Its auditorium, rococo foyer and summer Arena reflect more than two centuries of performance and civic cultural life.

Why it matters

The theatre grew from an initiative launched in 1807 to build a new public house on the site of the medieval Castello della Torre Rotonda. Count Giampietro Porro and Alessandro Volta were among its promoters. Designed by Giuseppe Cusi from 1811, the theatre opened on 28 August 1813 with performances of Adriano in Siria and I Pretendenti delusi.

What to notice

The auditorium’s plan is often compared to a cello case. Its wooden structure rises through five levels, including 72 boxes and the royal box. The ceiling painting of the Muses descending from Olympus was made by Eleuterio Pagliano in 1855 to a design by Gaetano Spelluzzi. Behind the auditorium, the Arena was converted for open-air performances in 1938 and once held up to 4,000 spectators.

Context and history

The theatre’s history includes performances by Nicolò Paganini in 1823 and Franz Liszt in 1837. In 1911, Como’s Teatro Sociale hosted the first Italian performance of Franz Lehár’s Amor di zingaro. After La Scala was bombed in 1943, its company performed here, giving the theatre the nickname Piccola Scala. AsLiCo has managed the theatre since 2002 and developed its production and opera-education programmes.