Teatro comunale Mario Del Monaco (Treviso)

The Teatro comunale Mario Del Monaco stands on Corso del Popolo in Treviso. Its history brings together aristocratic patronage, civic ownership and the city’s longstanding operatic tradition.

Why it matters

The theatre belongs to Italy’s historic teatri di tradizione. Its association with the Toti Dal Monte singing competition, established in 1969, gives it a particular place in the development of operatic performers.

What to notice

The surviving façade links the building with the earlier Teatro Onigo. Behind it lies the theatre rebuilt after the fire of 1868, reflecting the successive transformations of a site used for performance for more than three centuries.

Context and history

Count Fiorino Onigo’s theatre opened in October 1692 with Rosiclea. Fire destroyed most of the building on 2 October 1868; it reopened in October 1869 with Gounod’s Faust. The municipality became its owner in 1931. After closure in 1998, a restoration preceded its reopening on 15 November 2003 with a concert by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.