Teatro Massimo, Palermo’s opera house that opened in 1897, is a master work of Greek and Roman inspired architecture designed by Giovan Battista Filippo Basile (1825-1891). The construction was completed by his son Ernesto in 1897. The elder Basile incorporated decorative details from the ancient temples at Agrigento and Selinunte into the theater’s design.
Tag: opera house
Palermo Rising
This article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/12/world/europe/palermo-opera-teatro-massimo.html published in yesterday’s New York Times, brought tears to my eyes. It really demonstrates what is going on in Palermo, Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2018. I can’t express enough the wonder and excitement taking place in this vibrant city that has been rising from dark times for the past two and…
Catania’s Teatro Massimo Bellini
Named for Sicily’s favorite musical son, the opera composer Vincenzo Bellini, Catania’s Teatro Massimo Bellini hosts everything from orchestral concerts and opera to folk concerts and performances by pop legends. For example, Sicily’s other favorite musical son, Franco Battiato, will be showcasing here on May 30. The house seats 1200, and since its opening in…
Teatro Massimo’s Gilded Echo Chamber
Teatro Massimo, Palermo’s opera house that opened in 1897, is a master work of Greek and Roman inspired architecture designed by Giovan Battista Filippo Basile (1825-1891). The interior frescoes of the theater were painted by artists Rocco Lentini, Ettore De Maria Bergler, Michele Cortegiani, and Luigi Di Giovanni, who likely brushed this detail I photographed…
Theater to the Maximum: Teatro Massimo
After Paris and Vienna, Teatro Massimo is the third largest opera house in Europe (in terms of surface area), and the largest in Italy. Construction of the Giovanni Battista Basile neoclassical design started in 1875 and was completed in 1897 by his son Ernesto. When inside, it feels intimate and elegant. The acoustics are said…
Enchanting Sicily, Day 13: Monumental Massimo
LIVE from Sicily! | We spent today touring the neighborhoods of Palermo, starting here at Teatro Massimo the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in Europe after Paris and Vienna. I want to tell you more about our excursion through the city’s lively markets, but after ending today with a private concert…
Inspired by the Ancients
Architectural detail of Palermo’s Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy. Teatro Massimo was designed by Giovan Battista Basile in 1875. The construction was completed by his son Ernesto in 1897. The elder Basile incorporated decorative details from the ancient temples at Agrigento and Selinunte into the theater’s design.