Teatro della Società

The Teatro della Società is Lecco’s historic theatre, designed by Giuseppe Bovara in a neoclassical style inspired by La Scala. Inaugurated in 1844, it preserves a horseshoe auditorium, decorated boxes and the civic history of the city’s performing arts.

Why it matters

Conceived in 1835 by Lecco architect Giuseppe Bovara, the theatre brought a major civic performance space to a growing industrial town. It was designed in the image of La Scala and became the setting for musical and literary life in Lecco. After structural concerns forced its closure in 2017, a major restoration led to its reopening in November 2025.

What to notice

The horseshoe auditorium follows the Scala model in a smaller scale. Stuccoes and box carvings are by Giacomo Mattarelli, a frequent collaborator of Bovara. The vault fresco, Il teatro della vita, was painted by Orlando Sora in 1979 and recovered during recent restoration, together with the historic safety curtain. A late-nineteenth-century Umbertine wing contrasts with Bovara’s restrained façade, whose planned portico was never completed.

Context and history

The theatre’s first initiative dates to 1835; construction began in 1841, and the theatre opened on 23 October 1844 with Donizetti’s Anna Bolena. It was declared unsafe in 1951, but restoration completed in 1969 saved it from demolition. Structural concerns led to another closure in 2017. Following restoration, the Teatro della Società reopened on 29 November 2025 under the management of Fondazione Teàrte.