Teatro Carcano
Coordinates: 45°27′22″N 9°11′42″E / 45.45611°N 9.19500°E
The Teatro Carcano is a theatre in Milan, Italy located at 63 Corso di Porta Romana. Although now exclusively devoted to plays and dance, it served as an opera house for much of the 19th century and saw the premieres of several important operas. Completed in 1803, the theatre was commissioned by the Milanese aristocrat and theatre-lover Giuseppe Carcano and originally designed by Luigi Canonica. Over the succeeding two centuries it has undergone several restructurings and renovations and for time in the mid-20th century functioned as a cinema.
The Teatro Carcano was commissioned by the Milanese aristocrat and theatre-lover Giuseppe Carcano who entrusted the project to the young architect Luigi Canonica. Planning began in 1801 and construction began the following year. On 3 September 1803 the theatre was inaugurated with the world premieres of two works by the composer Vincenzo Federici—the opera Zaira with a libretto by Mattia Butturini and the ballet Alfredo il Grande with choreography by Paolo Franchi.
The Carcano was built on the site of the former convent of San Lazzaro in the Porta Romana district of Milan. It was modelled on the two most important public theatres in the city, La Scala (built in 1778) and the Teatro alla Cannobiana (built in 1779). Like those theatres it was designed in the neo-classical style with a horseshoe-shaped auditorium and four tiers of boxes. In total, it could accommodate 1500 spectators. The interior was lavishly decorated in stucco and gold leaf with frescoes and a large ceiling medallion over the auditorium. Contemporary descriptions of the opening performances praised not only the decor but also the extensive illumination provided for the stage. The theatre had its own restaurant and pâtisserie, and in 1806 a gambling casino was added.
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