Discover and book the top Milan shows
The "Little Theatre" was so named because of its tiny stage with more than 500 seats. It opened its curtains for the first time in 1947 and is now home to a number of rooms. It was given the title "Theatre of Europe" in 1991 by Ministerial decree and is a leading example of the Italian theatre scene.
The CRT-Research Center for the Theatre was founded in Milan in 1974 and became the first, and most important, Italian centre in the field of theatrical experimentation. Its particular focus is the world of dance and it holds an annual Short Formats International Festival of New Dance in October. There is an art theatre on Via Emilio Alemagna and an exhibition centre on Via Ulisse Dini.
La Scala is one of the most important opera theatres in the globe, where many of the most famous operas were premiered. It now stages concerts, recitals and cultural events as well as ballet and opera.
La Scala Theatre takes its name from Santa Maria della Scala, a church built in 1381 that occupied the same site. The theatre as it now stands was designed by the great neoclassical architect, Giuseppe Piemarini. It was inaugurated in 1778 with an opera by Antonio Salieri and has since premiered some of the great works of Verdi, Bellini and Puccini.
La Scala has an enormous stage, a seating capacity of 2,015 in its grandiose auditorium and arguably some of the best acoustics of any opera house in the world. From the early 1800s, the theatre also included ballet in its repertoire of artistic performances.
There is a theatrical museum and library attached to the opera house which provides a taste of the opulent world of the theatre and an in-depth look at La Scala's opera though the ages, as well as a general overview of Italian theatrical history. From the museum, it is possible to stand in boxes 13, 15 and 18 to gain a glimpse of the splendid auditorium.
This ever-popular theatre has a long Milanese history, hosts popular and well-known plays, and attracts a celebrity crowd, possibly because of its association with Silvio Berlusconi who saved it from conversion to a supermarket in 1978.