The Teatro Sociale di Como is the city’s opera house: opened in 1813 where a medieval castle stood, it is now run by AsLiCo and can be visited even without seeing a show.
History
As early as 1807 the purchase of the site of the 13th-century Castello della Torre Rotonda was being negotiated. The initiative for the New Great Theatre came from Count Giampietro Porro, podestà and chairman of the commission in charge, backed by Alessandro Volta, who chaired the municipal council. The site opened in 1811, to a design by Giuseppe Cusi, and the opening night was on 28 August 1813: on the bill I pretendenti delusi, by Giuseppe Mosca, and Adriano in Siria, an opera by the composer Antonio Fonseca Portugal. For the opening night Alessandro Sanquirico painted a large curtain with the death of Pliny the Elder at Pompeii, restored in 2008-2009; the facades were completed by Luigi Canonica (Wikipedia).
In 1855, with the enlargement works, the ceiling of the hall was painted by Eleuterio Pagliano to a design by Gaetano Spelluzzi: it shows the Muses descending from Olympus to crown the artists. In 1899 the theatre was electrified for the centenary of Volta’s battery, and in 1904-1905 the foyer was repainted white, becoming the Sala Bianca (Wikipedia). Among the great names to pass through, the theatre’s site recalls Giuditta Pasta and Maria Malibran, Niccolò Paganini in 1823 and Franz Liszt in 1837. After the bombing of 1943 La Scala of Milan moved here and the Sociale took the nickname “Piccola Scala”; Wikipedia specifies that the opera season was that of 1943-1944.
In 1938 the Arena at the back had been turned into an open-air theatre, with a structure for up to 4,000 people, used until the 1960s. The stage tower of the 1930s was demolished and Cusi’s rear facade recovered: for the theatre this happened in 2013, for Wikipedia in 2010. Since 1 January 2002 the shows and all activity have been run by AsLiCo (the theatre’s home page says 2001). The bicentenary was celebrated in summer 2013, and in 2018-2019 the building obtained its fire-prevention certificate and habitability (Wikipedia).
What to see
From outside, the neoclassical facade on piazza Verdi stands out. Inside, the hall is shaped like a cello case: wooden sides on five tiers, three of boxes (72, privately owned, plus the royal box) and two of galleries, for about 900 seats according to a directory of traditional theatres. In the foyer is the seat of the Società del Casino 1821 and the Sala Zodiaco, decorated in 1911 by Gersan Turri (Wikipedia).
Practical information
- The facade faces piazza Verdi, behind the Duomo of Como and near the Broletto; the theatre’s address is via Bellini 3.
- According to the official guided-visit page (read on 4 October 2026), the behind-the-scenes tour lasts 45 minutes, in Italian and English, and needs no booking: you go to the box office from 10.30am until places run out; the ticket is 8 euros each, 15 for two, 5 for under-18s and from the third entry on. For groups of at least 15 there are dedicated visits by booking. Dates change: it is best to check them on the theatre’s site.
- The programme of shows is on the theatre’s site; in summer the Arena hosts the Festival Como Città della Musica.
Sources
- Teatro Sociale di Como, History and Guided tours
- La Musica Classica in Italia, Teatro Sociale Como
- Como City, Teatro Sociale di Como: visitor guide
- Wikipedia, Teatro Sociale (Como) entry.
