A night at the Rome Opera

I like to write posts about opera houses I visit – when possible, when I travel, I try to squeeze in tickets to an opera. It gives me the chance to check out beautiful opera houses around the world, while enjoying operas I love – or operas new to me.

The Opera di Roma is my “local” opera house. Truly, it is local – I live just a short walk away, so I have many chances to see performances here. You can see photos from my most recent visit, to see Wagner’s Lohengrin).

Before I moved to Rome, I lived in Milan. Rome is not “La Scala” level of opera, but in the time I have been living in Rome, the quality of the opera improved tremendously. Today, you’re almost assured of seeing excellent opera.

The Roman opera was opened to the public in 1880 and bears the name of a businessman who decided, correctly, that Rome – Italy’s new capital – should have its own opera. The businessman and hotelier, Domenico Costanzi, bought land in which he built the Hotel Quirinale (it is still on Via Nazionale) and then built the opera behind it. In those early days, you used to pass through the hotel to gain entrance to the opera.

The architect Achille Sfondrini built the new theatre in the neo-Renaissance style prominent of the time, but it seems the opera house was not a great success in its first years.

Luckily, this had changed by the late nineteenth century, and the opera expanded. Part of that expansion was the (less attractive) facade when the city of Rome bought the opera in 1926, expanded it and altered the facade.

Many of the most famous opera performers and conductors have performed at the Opera di Roma.

Some famous operas were also premiered in Rome, including Giacomo Puccini’s (Rome-based) Tosca and Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana .

Well worth a visit when you’re next passing through Rome. You can see both opera and ballet here September to June. In July and August, the opera moves to its outdoor location at the stunning Caracalla Baths. (I’m not  a fan of the acoustics, but the backdrop makes it more than worth it!)

Enjoy the opera in Rome!