Love & Luxury: An exclusive evening at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
If you are in Rome and you have spent the day admiring the splendour of every corner offered by the Eternal City and you want to dedicate a special and romantic evening to you and your sweetheart, perhaps taking the chance to wear an elegant outfit and delight your ears, you should know that, 15 minutes from the Trevi Fountain and 20 from the Spanish Steps, there is the Rome Opera House.
If you are an opera lover, it is a wonderful opportunity we advise you not to miss, and if you have never been to the theatre, it is an experience we recommend you.
The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma is one of the most famous in the world especially with regards to ballet and opera. Inside the theatre, there is now one of the most famous dance schools ever, directed by the professional Eleonora Abbagnato, who is skilled in preparing talented dancers and reinventing herself every year with wonderful and engaging events.
The history of the Rome Opera House
The creation of the theatre started from an idea of Monsignor Francesco Saverio de Mérode, who thought it was an excellent business to urbanize the road from the train station to Via del Corso. This project was immediately shared by the hotel entrepreneur Domenico Costanzi, who bought the land and in 1874, he built the Hotel Quirinale in via Nazionale and then, near there, the Teatro dell'Opera; the two buildings were connected by a n underground area that allowed artists to move discreetly from one building to another.
The theatre was built by the architect Achille Sfondrini, in neo-Renaissance style and it was not a huge building, given its 1100 seats, but the acoustics were spectacular. The structure had three levels of stages, a gallery, an amphitheater and an enchanting dome was painted by Brugnoli. On November 27th, in 1880, the theatre was inaugurated in front of Margherita di Savoia and King Umberto I of Savoy, presenting a work by Gioacchino Rossini, the "Semiramide", certainly an excellent baptism, as this became one of the most popular and loved theatres, especially after it was purchased by the Municipality of Rome in 1926, which immediately renovated it, giving it an undisputed supremacy in the Eternal City.
During the direction of Costanzi, it was called Teatro Costanzi and, at the time, it hosted works such as Cavalleria rusticana and L'amico Fritz by Mascagni. During the direction of his son Enrico, who succeeded him, there were great works like Puccini's Tosca and the Masks. In over a century of life, world-famous artists such as Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti, etc. and directors such as Toscanini, Von Karajan, Abbado, Sanzogno, Riccardo Muti have performed at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. and many others.
Teatro dell'Opera: an architectural and pictorial treasure
When it was firstly renovated in 1926, the building saved only the horseshoe structure and the beautiful frescoed dome. The designs were inspired by the new lyricism, through a courageous chromatism and a circular movement unusual for the time; everything paid tribute to the tragedy of dance, the music at the Olympic games and the show. The chandelier of the Costanzi Theatre is truly majestic, it was built in Murano, and it manages to illuminate the hall with 18000 watts of power, hanging from the dome of Brugnoli since its restyling. He was discovered by the public in 1928, for the first time, when it was inaugurated again by the Nerone opera by Arrigo Boito. It is one of the largest chandeliers in the history of Europe: it has a diameter of 6 metres and a height of 3.5, composed of 250 lamps and 27000 drops of Bohemian crystal spread over 17 concentric rings and offers impressive games of light. You can imagine how complicated it can be to clean it, as this operation is performed by expert personnel every 5 years.
What to see at the Opera House: the 2019-2010 season
The program during this season 2019-2020 is really rich and if you want to take advantage of it, some works are Don Giovanni by Mozart, Idomeo, King of Crete by Mozart and a Roman in Mars, and one of the ballets is Don Quixote by Lurent Hilare. Be aware the new season starting in 2019 and continuing through 2010 has set itself the goal of achieving musical excellence, seeking novelties and surprises during the re-reading of the classical levels of opera. The choice is to follow the lines of the very successful last few years both in terms of quality and in incomes, proposing a mix of exclusive shows. The mayor Raggi is very proud of the importance the theatre has for her city, especially for the educational value and for the intellectual incitement expressed by the original choreography, the sublime voices and the powerful music.
What to see near the Opera theatre in Rome
The Opera House is located in the heart of Rome, where many monuments and wonderful places are close; therefore, if you plan to visit one before and then go and see a show or vice versa, you can still do both without losing anything. So, if you are going to spend an enchanting evening at the theater with your loved one, a romantic walk after attending an opera or a ballet, when you are still ecstatic and excited, will be the culmination of a perfect evening. You can visit Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri and the Terme di Diocleziano, just a few steps away and therefore the heels will not be a problem. If, on the other hand, you do not have the problem of uncomfortable shoes, you should know you will also be near the charming Via del Corso, with its irresistible showcases to admire and if you want to make purchases of any kind; the Trevi Fountain and Piazza di Spagna will also be within walking distance. You can reach the theatre by train, as it is situated near Termini station; if you travel by underground, you can take underground A and get off at Repubblica-Teatro stop.
