San Carlo Theater

The San Carlo Theater, located in the heart of Naples, is a symbol of excellence and history in the European cultural landscape. Founded in 1737 by King Charles VII of Bourbon, it is the oldest opera house in the world still in operation. This imposing structure was built to replace the old San Bartolomeo Theater and was meant to reflect the greatness of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which at the time was one of the most important cultural centers in Europe. The San Carlo Theater was inaugurated on November 4, 1737, the king’s name day. The project was entrusted to architects Giovanni Antonio Medrano and Angelo Carasale, who created a majestic theater with a large horseshoe-shaped hall, a feature that would become standard for many subsequent theaters. With its 1,444 seats and 184 boxes, the theater quickly became a model for theater architecture of the time. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the San Carlo saw the first performances of works by illustrious composers such as Johann Christian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Strauss, and Giacomo Puccini. This theater also hosted numerous world premieres, including many operas by Gioachino Rossini, who in 1815 presented “Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra” with great success. Gaetano Donizetti also wrote and presented 17 operas there, including the famous “Lucia di Lammermoor” in 1835. In 1816, a devastating fire destroyed much of the theater. However, thanks to the determination of King Ferdinand IV and the skill of architect Antonio Niccolini, the San Carlo was rebuilt in less than a year and reopened in January 1817. The new structure retained the horseshoe shape and was enriched with neoclassical decorations. Niccolini also created the famous fresco on the ceiling depicting Apollo presenting the greatest poets of the world to Minerva, a work by the Cammarano brothers. The San Carlo Theater not only has an extraordinary architectural and musical history but has also played an important role in the political and social life of Naples. During the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799, it was the stage for an ode to freedom written by Domenico Cimarosa, which inflamed the spirits of the revolutionaries. The theater survived dramatic historical events, including the bombings of World War II, after which it was quickly restored and reopened in December 1943 with a performance of Puccini’s “La bohème.” In the 20th century, the San Carlo continued to be a reference point for opera and ballet. In the 1990s, the theater underwent a series of restorations to bring back its original beauty and improve technical facilities. These interventions culminated in a significant restructuring between 2008 and 2009, involving around 300 workers and including the restoration of decorations, the updating of stage equipment, and the creation of a new rehearsal room. The theater reopened with a performance of Mozart’s “La clemenza di Tito,” celebrating the 254th anniversary of the composer’s birth.