Teatro Massimo

On.the.Road

Where is the largest opera house in Italy? Milan? Rome? No! It's in Palermo, the capital of Sicily! Teatro Massimo, located in the capital of Sicily, Palermo, appeared in the movie <The Godfather> and is the largest opera house in Italy. Construction began in 1861 to commemorate the annexation of the Kingdom of Sicily into Italy, with plans to create the largest theater in Italy. However, after various corruption scandals and shoddy constructions, it finally opened in 1897. The facade of the theater is built in a neoclassical style, reminiscent of a Greek temple. Although it was initially intended to accommodate 3,000 people, it now has 1,381 seats. Its opening performance was Verdi's <Falstaff>, conducted by Leopoldo Mugnone. The last scene of <The Godfather 3> was filmed in this theater, and the conductor in the theater was Anton Coppola, the uncle of the movie's director Francis Ford Coppola. The interior, with its red velvet and gold, maintained the consistent atmosphere of a classic European theater, and the ceiling painting was particularly impressive. The theater tour was enjoyable, and the lively atmosphere of the street opposite also highlighted the charm of Palermo.