• 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

Where
Teatro Grande
Corso Zanardelli, 9/a, Brescia
Contacts
+39 030 2979333
Official site
Infopoint
Infopoint Brescia - Centro
Via Trieste 1, angolo piazza Paolo VI, Brescia
+39 0302400357

The large building that hosts Teatro Grande, or the Grand Theatre, has an architecturally complex structure, created over the course of more than three centuries of remodelling and improvements.

With a unique continuity of functions, the Teatro Grande is located in the same place where the first public theatre opened in Brescia in 1664.

The current hall of the Teatro Grande was built in 1810 based on the design by the architect Luigi Canonica and was decorated in 1862 by Girolamo Magnani. Another remarkable feature is the ceiling of the current day sala del Ridotto with the fake balustrade overlooking the sky animated by numerous figures of the Olympian gods. The Ridotto, or Grand Foyer, which opened in 1772, is one of the most remarkable examples of 18th-century architectural splendour applied to a theatre.

In the ceiling you look can see the allegorical groups of Dance, Comedy, Tragedy and Music frescoed by Luigi Campini. Another interesting element is the stage, which still retains part of the 19th-century structure, and the so-called "soffittone", a large area once used for the preparation of the painted scenes that is now used as a hall for rehearsals, small events and parties.

From the late 19th century to the present day some of the most important operas of the Italian tradition have been staged at the Grande, almost always presented to sold-out audiences. The greatest Italian artists of international renown have continuously taken the stage of the Brescia theatre, for both operas and concerts held for various events. Some of the most memorable performances held include La Bohème in 1896, directed by Arturo Toscanini, and the 1963 production featuring Zeani and debut tenor Luciano Pavarotti (who had already performed in Rigoletto the previous year), the 1937 season that marked the debut of Magda Olivero and the tenor Giuseppe Lugo, and the 1950 opera season with Maria Callas in Aida.

A fun fact: Puccini's Madam Butterfly was enthusiastically received at Brescia's Teatro Grande on 28 May 1904, following the first unsuccessful performance at La Scala. This would mark the beginning of Puccini's successful career.

The theatre's program of events, spanning from tradition to modernity, include performances of opera, dance, music and cultural events. Every year in spring the Teatro Grande also hosts the International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo, one of the world's most important piano events.


Opening hours

Ticket Office
Tuesday - Friday: 13:30 - 19:00
Saturday: 15:30 - 19:00
Closed: Sundays, Mondays and holidays
biglietteria@teatrogrande.it

Take me here: Teatro Grande

Places

Teatro Grande

  • Art & Culture
Teatro Grande
6 mt

Piazza della Vittoria

  • Art & Culture
Piazza della Vittoria
200 mt

Piazza del Mercato

  • Art & Culture
Piazza del Mercato
213 mt

The Old Cathedral

  • Art & Culture
The Old Cathedral
220 mt

Piazza Paolo VI (formerly Piazza del Duomo)

  • Art & Culture
Piazza Paolo VI (formerly Piazza del Duomo)
220 mt

Angelo Maria Querini

  • Art & Culture
Angelo Maria Querini
220 mt

The colli dei Longobardi wine route

  • Food & Wine
The colli dei Longobardi wine route
256 mt

Golfing in Brescia

  • Golf
Golfing in Brescia
256 mt

Lake fish

  • Lakes
Lake fish
256 mt

The Queriniana Library and the Bishop's Palace

  • Art & Culture
The Queriniana Library and the Bishop's Palace
265 mt

The Broletto Palace

  • Art & Culture
The Broletto Palace
294 mt

Church of Sant'Agata

  • Art & Culture
Church of Sant'Agata
300 mt

Piazza della Loggia

With the Clock Tower, the arcades and its Renaissance architecture, Piazza della Loggia is one of the landmarks of Brescia
  • Art & Culture
Piazza della Loggia Brescia
331 mt

The Arcade and the Clock Tower

  • Art & Culture
The Arcade and the Clock Tower
335 mt

La Lodoìga

  • Art & Culture
La Lodoìga
357 mt

The Palace of the Loggia

  • Art & Culture
The Palace of the Loggia
357 mt

Roman Basilica

  • Art & Culture
Roman Basilica
399 mt

RITRATTO DI ELEONORA D'ESTE

  • Art & Culture
RITRATTO DI ELEONORA D'ESTE
409 mt

Affresco della Madonna in trono che allatta il Bambino con sant'Antonio Abate

  • Art & Culture
Affresco della Madonna in trono che allatta il Bambino con sant'Antonio Abate
409 mt

SAN GIORGIO E IL DRAGO

  • Art & Culture
SAN GIORGIO E IL DRAGO
430 mt

Events

Festa della Musica

Brescia
24/06/2023
  • Art & Culture
Festa della Musica
227 mt

Where to sleep

ELEGANTI DIMORE

Brescia
ELEGANTI DIMORE
54 mt

GALLERIA D'ARTE

Brescia
GALLERIA D'ARTE
61 mt

APPARTAMENTO MAZZINI 40

Brescia
APPARTAMENTO MAZZINI 40
102 mt

ELEGANTI DIMORE 6

Brescia
ELEGANTI DIMORE 6
109 mt

APPARTAMENTO BILO 1 PIAZZA VITTORIA

Brescia
APPARTAMENTO BILO 1 PIAZZA VITTORIA
158 mt

APPARTAMENTO MONO PIAZZA VITTORIA

Brescia
APPARTAMENTO MONO PIAZZA VITTORIA
158 mt

APPARTAMENTO BILO 2 PIAZZA VITTORIA

Brescia
APPARTAMENTO BILO 2 PIAZZA VITTORIA
158 mt

VITTORIA

Brescia
VITTORIA
163 mt

CAPITOLIUM - ALBERGO DIFFUSO

Brescia
CAPITOLIUM - ALBERGO DIFFUSO
186 mt

CASA PRIMARIA DI BRESCIA - ORDINE CANOSSIANE

Brescia
CASA PRIMARIA DI BRESCIA - ORDINE CANOSSIANE
229 mt

APPARTAMENTO PIAZZA DUOMO

Brescia
APPARTAMENTO PIAZZA DUOMO
249 mt

CASA ONIA

Brescia
CASA ONIA
286 mt

OROLOGIO (MEUBLE')

Brescia
OROLOGIO (MEUBLE')
320 mt

AI MUSEI

Brescia
AI MUSEI
377 mt

LA SVOLTA (MEUBLé)

Brescia
LA SVOLTA (MEUBLé)
388 mt

HOMO HOMINI LUPUS - G.U.F.A.

Brescia
HOMO HOMINI LUPUS - G.U.F.A.
391 mt

MY ROOM SUITE CENTER BRESCIA

Brescia
MY ROOM SUITE CENTER BRESCIA
392 mt

MILLEFIORI

Brescia
MILLEFIORI
401 mt

APPARTAMENTO PIAZZA LOGGIA 1

Brescia
APPARTAMENTO PIAZZA LOGGIA 1
403 mt

APPARTAMENTO PIAZZA LOGGIA

Brescia
APPARTAMENTO PIAZZA LOGGIA
403 mt