Teatro Massimo — Attraction in Palermo

An international competition for the creation of the opera house was announced by the Palermo Council in 1864 at the instigation of the mayor, Antonio Starrabba di Rudinì. For many years there had been talk of building a large new theatre in Palermo, worthy of the second biggest city in southern Italy (after Naples) and designed to promote the image of the city following the unification of Italy in 1861.

The opera house was designed, and overseen by the Italian architect Giovan Battista Filippo Basile, who was well known in Sicily for his previous cathedral restoration design in the city of Acireale, as well as garden and villa designs in the city of Palermo and Caltagirone. Following G. B. F. Basile's death in 1891, construction was then overseen by his son, Architect Ernesto Basile.

The Rutelli and Machì Company, represented by Giovanni Rutelli and Alberto Machì (both founding members of the company) was contracted for the main construction of the theatre which, under Architect Giovanni Rutelli's technical and building direction, went from the foundations all the way up to the theatre's attic structures. He was also responsible for all the external decorations of the building. Rutelli initially designed a steam tower crane machine which was then successfully able to lift large stone blocks and Greek/Roman styled columns during construction of the very large theatre.

Giovanni Rutelli belongs to a very old and renowned Italian family of confirmed British Isles origin, a family which also includes architects and sculptor artists from the old Sicilian classic and baroque school as well as building contractors, all entrepreneurs going back to the first half of the 18th century in Palermo. Along with Architect D. Mario Rutelli (Giovanni's great-grandfather), they were considered to be among the most technically and artistically specialized experts in Sicily at that time, especially because of Mario Rutelli and his descendants' profound knowledge and experience in Ancient Greek/Roman architecture, as well as the Norman architectural style. This style required the use of natural thick stone, all of which was part of the structural design. The two very large bronze statues of lions sitting next to the theatre's monumental stairway entrance were created by Giovanni Rutelli's son, sculptor artist Sir Mario Rutelli and Benedetto Civiletti.

Construction started on 12 January 1874, but was stopped for eight years from 1882 until 1890. Finally, on 16 May 1897, twenty-two years after the laying of the foundation stone, the fourth largest opera house in Europe at the time — after the Royal Opera House in London, the Palais Garnier in Paris, and the K. K. Hof-Opernhaus in Vienna— was inaugurated with a performance of Verdi's Falstaff conducted by Leopoldo Mugnone.

The interior is decorated and painted by Rocco Lentini, Ettore De Maria Bergler, Michele Cortegiani and Luigi Di Giovanni.

Busts of famous composers were carved for the theatre by the Italian sculptor, Giusto Liva (born in Montebelluna, Treviso in 1847) and several...

The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo opened its doors to the public on the evening of 16 May 1897, twenty-two years after the solemn public ceremony of the laying of the first stone. This took place on 12 January 1875, and ended a chequered series of vicissitudes with interminable squabbles lasting over ten years. The international competition for the project and realisation of the opera house had been announced by Palermo Council in 1864, and its prime mover was the mayor, Antonio Starrabba di Rudini. For a long time there had been talk of building a big new theatre in Palermo, worthy of the second biggest city in southern Italy after Naples. Palermo, in the second half of the nineteenth century, was engaged in getting itself a new identity in the light of the new national unity. Cultural life was influenced by the new Italian State and the positive consequences of the activity of enlightened entrepreneurs like the Florios, who also made generous donations to the building of the opera house and for some years were also its no less enlightened managers. Intense commercial relations led to the convergence and development in Palermo of interests with a European dimension and brought the city to be continually in touch with different cultural models than its own. This was the start of the Belle Epoque, a time of cultural and economic rebirth for Palermo which would in turn become almost mythical for the future generations and was only to be interrupted by the outbreak of World War I. The opening night happened on May 16 1897: Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff was the inaugural opera. The conductor was Leopoldo Mugnone. A ticket in the boxes would then cost 80 liras, one in the gallery just 3. At the time of its first opening, thanks to its surface of 7,730 square metres, the Teatro Massimo was the third in Europe, after the opera houses in Paris and Wien.

From the opening in 1897 to 1935 the opera seasons were put together by private firms, often a different one each year, that would organize the performances. In 1935 the theatre was officially designated with a Decree from the Italian Ministry of Culture "Ente Teatrale Autonomo", and thus recognized as a public theatre. In 1974 the theatre was closed for reconstruction works that were supposed to be finished in a relatively short time. It remained closed for 23 years and was reopened with the concert on May 12 1997, conducted by Franco Mannino in the first part and by Claudio Abbado in the second, with the Berliner...

This is Italy's largest opera house and one of the largest in Europe, renowned for its monumental Neoclassical architecture and cultural significance. Conceived in the late 19th century, its construction began in 1875 under architect Giovanni Battista Filippo Basile and was completed by his son Ernesto Basile after Giovanni's death. The theater officially opened on May 16, 1897, with Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Falstaff." The building impresses with its majestic facade, featuring a monumental arch flanked by two towers and a quadriga sculpture representing the triumph of music. The interior boasts opulent Baroque-style decoration, including rich stucco work, marble, gilded ornaments, and impressive frescoes. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium can seat roughly 1,300 people and is celebrated for its exceptional acoustics and elegant atmosphere. Teatro Massimo symbolizes Palermo's cultural rebirth and its aspirations as a major European city following Italian unification. It has played an important role in the city's social life and cultural identity, opening its doors initially to the elite but now welcoming a broad audience. The theater also gained fame as the backdrop for the final scene of "The Godfather Part III," adding to its cinematic and tourist appeal. Despite a prolonged closure from 1974 to 1997 for renovations, Teatro Massimo today maintains its status as a premier venue for opera and classical music performances, drawing tourists and arts lovers globally. It is considered an architectural masterpiece blending Neoclassical grandeur with Sicilian Renaissance influences, making it a must-visit landmark both for its artistic offerings and its historical and architectural...