Teatro Argentina

The theatre was commissioned by the Sforza-Cesarini family and designed by the architect Gerolamo Theodoli, with the auditorium laid out in the traditional horseshoe shape.

[1] Rossini's The Barber of Seville was given its premiere here on 20 February 1816, just after Duke Francesco's death and, in the 19th century, the premieres of many notable operas took place in the theatre, including Verdi's I due Foscari on 3 November 1844 and La battaglia di Legnano on 27 January 1849,[1] and Teresa Seneke’s Le Due Amiche in 1869.

[2] From 1919 to 1944, more musical offerings than dramatic ones were presented, although the theatre premiered works by Luigi Pirandello, Henrik Ibsen, and Maxim Gorky during this time.

It offers a variety of programmes, some being large-scale productions, although more plays than music or opera are presented today.

[1] In the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, the Teatro Argentina was the setting for an important scene during a performance of Parisina by Gaetano Donizetti.