Giuseppe Piermarini's 2800-seat theatre was inaugurated in 1778, replacing the previous theatre, which burnt down in a fire after a carnival gala. Costs were covered by the sale of palchi (private boxes), of which there are six gilt-and-crimson tiers. Outside rehearsals you can stand in boxes 13, 15 and 18 for a glimpse of the interior, while in the museum harlequin costumes and a spinet inscribed with the command ‘Inexpert hand, touch me not!’ hint at centuries of musical drama.
©Stephanie Ong/Lonely Planet
Museo Teatrale alla Scala
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