For architects it is a hint of neoclassic expression, important monuments by Giuseppe Piermarini; for musicians and music lovers it is an opera; for historians a document marked by the stages of Italian history; for today’s citizens it is a symbol that has lived within its own guts. Milan’s wartime event and has risen from destruction before any other institution, perhaps due to this same multifaceted character, to this ability of converging many identities in a lively fashion. For every one, La Scala represents the city’s icon, a concrete
projection of collective memory, the downflow of history, and just as history can be: inauguration and great pomp, patriotic tension, beauty and wealth, big and refined music culture upon which entire generations of Italians have been
educated, the resentful dissent during the Risorgimento, the bombs of 1943, the protests of 1968 and the social tensions that have echoed within its walls.
With these written words, Carla di Francesco, author of the book “La Magnifica Scala” (“Magnificent Scala”) (Electa Ed.), describes one of our country’s symbols for excellence, a synonym of the “being Italian” that has always distinguished
us to the eyes of the world.

The Teatro alla Scala was founded by determination of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria following the fire that on February 26 1776 destroyed the Regio Ducale theatre, old venue of operatic performances in Milan. Created by the great neoclassic architect Giuseppe Piermarini, it was officially open on August 3 1778 with L’Europa Riconosciuta, an opera by Antonio Salieri, a talented musician
whose name, however, is associated to his alleged rivalry with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. That same opera, directed by Riccardo Muti, has greeted on December 7 2004 the reopening of the theatre following many years of restoration.
It is one of the world’s most famous theaters, located in one of the city’s most patronized squares, the famous Piazza della Scala.

The history of what is universally recognized as the temple of opera is permanently tied to the history of its city: Milan. In the nineteenth century the Milanese aristocrats crowded its splendid galleries, they considered them like a second house, they would furnish them according to their own personal taste, they even dined in them. Instead, today it is the VIPs of the local and international elite that crowd its foyer. Not one member of the elite would ever miss an opening at La Scala: ministers, authorities, the big names in economy, in industry and in finance, but also stars and personalities of the entertainment business. Men in tuxedos and women in long dresses, together, to attend the year’s most mundane event. And that’s because, among the thousand flowers, the red carpets and the crowded mass in the foyer, the opening night is always a triumph, and not solely for opera. So much so that on first night last December 7, after the thirteen minutes of uninterrupted applause for Franco Zeffirelli’s Aida, Milan’s mayor, Letizia Moratti, stated that La Scala can be considered “Milan’s ambassadress in the world”.