Teatro Massimo

The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele, Palermo’s Opera House, is situated in Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, an area in which historical monuments were demolished to build it.

The Teatro Massimo is one of the largest in Europe, it covers 7.730 square meters and it is famous for its excellent acoustic too. At the time of its first opening, 16 May 1897, it was the third theatre in Europe, after the opera houses in Paris and Wien.

The Teatro Massimo was built in 1875-1897 on a project by the architect Giovanni Battista Filippo Basile and finished by his son, Ernesto Basile. The monumentality of the exterior is inspired by the choice of classic style. The main entrance dominates the square: six imposing columns and a staircase flanked by two bronze groups representing “Opera” and “Tragedy”. The huge auditorium, acoustically perfect, today hosts up to 1.247 people. The ceiling or the “Symbolic wheel”, is decorated in the shape of a flower with eleven petals that can be raised to allow the exchange of air.

Did you know that the theatre was closed for renovation work for about 23 years and reopened on May 12 1997?

However today guided tours are available to explore its beautiful auditorium and the most interesting halls!

Enjoy the visit!