Milan's La Scala Theater is the center of world opera culture, the mecca of operatic art. It is rightly called the pride of Italy. This is the calling card of not only Milan, but the whole country. Thousands of tourists come to see this attraction every year. Opposite La Scala there was a church of the second half of the 14th century - Santa Maria della Scala, which had its own patron - Beatrice Regina della Scala from a noble family. This is where the name of the theater comes from (some mistakenly believe that it is related to the Italian word "scala", which means "stairs", La Scala Theater Yes - "to the theater by stairs"). At that time, the ducal theater functioned here near the royal palace, which was destroyed by fire in 1708.
The emperor's wife, Maria Theresa of Austria, ordered the construction of a new theater. It was built in 1776-1778 according to the design of the architect of the royal palace, Giuseppe Piermarini. It acquired its modern majestic appearance only in 1858, when the square of the same name was organized. It was partially destroyed during World War II, but rebuilt in 1946. The theater was last restored in 2001-2004.
The Milan Opera House is located next to Piazza della Scala (La Scala square), in the center of which stands the monument to Leonardo da Vinci. In the lower tier of the pedestal there are statues of Leonardo's followers - Marco d'Oggiono, Cesare de Sesto, Giovanni Bottraffio and Salai.
It should be noted that during the excavation of the area for the construction of the theater (90 aristocrats of the city gave 1 million lire for this), a large marble boulder was found with the image of Pylades, the famous ancient Roman figure. This was taken as a good sign.
The La Scala Hall had the shape of a huge (100mx38m) horseshoe, elongated after reconstruction, and has a classic tiered layout. model of the layout of boxes (five tiers and up to two hundred boxes). Against the background of the external austerity of the theater building, the richness and beauty of the interior decoration stands out.
The path to glory of the Milan Opera House began on August 3, 1778 with the premiere of Antonio Salieri's opera “Recognized (or known) Europe.” The composer wrote it specifically for this important day for the European theater world. Works by Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini, Bonizetti, Beethoven, Wagner, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and other famous composers were also performed here. Famous singers sang on stage: Caruso, Rufo, Gilly, Benzanzoni, Del Monaco, Maria Callas, Tebaldi, Corelli, Chaliapin, Pavarotti, Caballe and others. Among the conductors were Franco Foci, Arturo Toscanini, Victor de Sabata and others.
La Scala has amazing acoustics. The hall seats 2030 people. The chandelier is made of Bohemian crystal.
It should be noted that La Scala is the first theater in Europe to introduce electric lighting. This happened in 1883. Before this, performances were held by candlelight.
I definitely recommend visiting the La Scala Museum. It was opened in 1913 at the Riccardi Casino and is located to the left of the theater entrance. The exhibition in 14 halls will give an insight into the history of both La Scala and Italian theatrical art. Here you can see costumes, scenery, musical instruments (including Franz Liszt's piano), paintings, sculptures, scores and other personal belongings of famous actors and musicians who devoted most of their lives to the famous theater.
If you decide to attend the show, please note that men should wear a formal suit and women should wear an evening dress.
La Scala Theater address: Via Filodrammatici 2. The museum is located next to the theater. Address: Largo Chiringheli,1, Piazza Scala.
The museum is open daily from 09:00 to 17:30. Closed January 1 and 6, May 1, August 15, December 8, 24, 25, 26 and 31, Easter Sunday.
You can visit La Scala theater and its museum either with a guide or on your own. The cost of a 1-hour excursion is:
- with a guide: for adults - 29 euros, for children 4-11 years old - 19 euros, under 4 years old - free;
- independently: for adults - 9 euros, for schoolchildren over 12 years old - 7 euros;
- for children under 12 years old - free.
Tickets can be purchased at the theater box office or online.
How to get there:
- on the red M1 metro line - stop Duomo/Cordusio or yellow M3 metro line - stop Duomo/Montenapoleone ;
- by bus №61 or tram №1, 2 - stop Manzoni Scala/S.Margherita Scala.
To buy tickets online and for more information, visit the official website of La Scala: https://www.teatroallascala.org/en/index.html.
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