Teatro San Carlo

Adjoining the square, Piazza Trieste e Trento, fronted on the northeastern side by Italy’s largest opera house, the sumptuous Teatro San Carlo.It is famed for its perfect acoustics. Locals will proudly boast that it was built in 1737, predating its northern rival, Milan’s La Scala, by 41 years. Inaugurated on 4 December 1737 by Charles VII, it was severely damaged by a fire in 1816 and rebuilt by Antonio Niccolini, the same architect who a few years before had added the facade. At the time of research, the future of the 40-minute tours of the theatre was unclear. Contact the theatre or tourist office for updates.