Teatro Sociale, Como

Teatro Sociale is a theatre in Como, designed by architect Giuseppe Cusi following a decision by the local nobility that a new one was needed to replace the existing 1764/65 building which was regarded as outdated.

[1] The site of the ruined medieval castle, Torre Rotonda, was the chosen location and the Società dei Palchettisti was created by membership subscriptions to fund its creation.

The following Spring brought additional problems and added work so that the theatre was not finished until its August 1813 inauguration with a performance of Marco Portogallo's opera, Adriano in Siria.

By the early 20th century, the theatre was again determined to be too small to accommodate all who wished to attend and various proposals were put forward, culminating in the decision to retain the Sociale as it was and build a new house, which was inaugurated in September 1910.

[1] After delays and indecisions, a major remodeling took place, creating a 900-seat house with five tiers and "a massive, six-Corinthian-column pronaos (which) anchors the monumental neo-classical facade of the structure.