Overview

The traditional 19th-century theater that is a symbol of Trieste

It is Trieste’s main opera and ballet theater. Among the oldest spaces still in activity, the theater dates back to 1800, its structure consisting mainly of 2 auditoriums, the Sala del Teatro Verdi and the Sala Ridotto. It copies the architecture of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, built by Giuseppe Piermarini. The Teatro Lirico has been the symbol of the city’s Italian cultural identity and, at the same time, interpreter of the cosmopolitanism of Trieste, making the works of Central European composers known to all. Melodramas, dances, comedies and dramas have all been performed at the Teatro Lirico, which has hosted the greats of music such as Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and the works of Maestro Verdi. This space, with its two long centuries of history, is today one of the identifying symbols of the city of Trieste, and it has always offered an intensive program of artistic and musical activities, best seen in its seasons of opera and ballet.