Teatro Massimo

The Teatro Massimo in Palermo is Italy's largest and Europe's third largest opera house.

It was built in the style of historicism in Piazza Verdi in the former western gate of the old city of Palermo. Previously on the construction site were a church and convent of San Giuliano. Both were demolished to make way for new construction. The architect was Giovanni Battista Filippo Basile, who began in 1875 with the construction work. After his death, the building was completed in 1897 by his son Ernesto Basile.

The facade of the theater shows stylistic elements of historicism. The main entrance is preceded by a portico of six Corinthian columns. For portico leads a monumental staircase, to the lie on both sides of two lion sculptures. The opera hall is spanned by a large dome. It consists of a steel structure, which is movably mounted, to compensate for displacement due to temperature fluctuation. The hall was decorated by various artists and has about 3200 seats.

On 16 May 1897, the Teatro Massimo was opened with Verdi's opera Falstaff. After a " temporary closure" in 1974 due to structural defects, the Teatro Massimo remained closed for long because of corrupt, mafia- building policy for over 20 years. Only in 1997 it was reopened thanks to the efforts Leoluca Orlando to its centenary year, with Verdi's opera Nabucco. Today it symbolizes Palermo's fight against the Mafia and its " political and cultural resurgence ."

The Teatro Massimo was the venue for the final scenes of Francis Ford Coppola's film The Godfather - Part III it was, played the opera Cavalleria rusticana. Staircase and platform hall of the house, which at that time was still closed, were restored movie suitable for the occasion.