Teatro alla Scala
A world-leading opera house opened in 1778, where many operas by Verdi and Puccini premiered. You can tour its museum and auditorium during the day.
Teatro alla Scala opened in 1778 on the site of the former church of Santa Maria alla Scala and is one of the most celebrated opera houses in the world. Works by Rossini, Verdi (Nabucco, Otello) and Puccini (Madama Butterfly, Turandot) premiered here, and Toscanini, Callas and Pavarotti left legendary marks on its stage. The exterior is plain, but inside, a horseshoe-shaped auditorium in gold and red rises through six tiers of boxes and seats about 2,000. Visitors who do not attend performances can buy a ticket to the Museo Teatrale alla Scala (about €12), which displays portraits, instruments and costumes of past singers and composers, and can view the auditorium from the boxes (access may be limited during rehearsals). To attend a performance, note that the opening night on December 7 each year is extremely hard to get tickets for. Regular opera, ballet and concert tickets range from €30 for top-tier gallery seats to over €250, and they go on sale months in advance on the official website. On performance days, a small number of cheap gallery tickets are sold at the box office, but you must register before noon that day. Formal dress is required for performances. The theatre faces Piazza della Scala, where a statue of Leonardo da Vinci stands in the center. It is reached through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and metro M1/M3 Duomo station is a 5-minute walk away.
Opening hours
Museum 09:30–17:30 (last entry 17:00); shows usually start at 20:00
Nearby sights
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
- Museo Poldi Pezzoli
- Milan Cathedral
- Museo del Novecento
- Pinacoteca di Brera
- Royal Palace of Milan
- Santa Maria presso San Satiro
- Biblioteca e Pinacoteca Ambrosiana