- Art & Culture
Teatro Grande
Three hundred years of history, scenic games and rococo Venetian at the Teatro Grande in Brescia, stage of the most important opera
An artistic and cultural institution of great prestige, the Teatro Grande is a traditional opera treasure, with charming rooms and surprises to reveal.
It stands on the very site where, in 1664, Brescia’s first public theatre was built, with the modern-day auditorium, built in 1810, from designs by architect Luigi Canonica and decorated by Girolamo Magnani in 1862. The stage still has part of its 19th-century structure and the boards have been trodden by some of the greatest artists in Italian opera.
“Madama Butterfly” by Puccini, after the failure of the first performance in Verona, was enthusiastically welcomed at the Teatro Grande in Brescia, on 28 May 1904, and this marked the beginning of its success. There was a memorable “La Bohème” in 1896, directed by Arturo Toscanini, the 1937 season, starring debuting artists Magda Olivero and tenor Giuseppe Lugo, and the opera season of 1950, with Maria Callas in “Aida”.
Today Brescia’s Teatro Grande welcomes important events, such as the “Festival Pianistico Internazionale di Brescia e Bergamo” some of the most important conductors, soloists and orchestras from all over the world, and the Festa dell’Opera. This unique event, promoted by the theatre, has performances of the most important melodies from traditional opera from dawn to midnight.
Caffè del Teatro Grande
The Sala del Ridotto is a prestigious space with faux balustrade up to a painted sky decorated with figures of the Greek gods and allegorical groups of Dance, Comedy, Tragedy and Music, all frescoed by Luigi Campini. From here, you enter the Caffè del Teatro Grande - Berlucchi, once the coffee shop of the theatre, where you can enjoy lunch, a snack or an aperitif in a fully artistic setting. The frescoes in the coffee shop and the enchanting atmosphere in the Sala del Teosa and the Saletta Butterfly rooms offer you a unique experience, every Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00am to 8:00pm. On some special dates it is possible to enjoy an aperitif accompanied by jazz music at dedicated evening events.
Find out more on the official page of Caffè del Teatro.
