Teatro di San Carlo, Opera house in Naples, Italy
Teatro di San Carlo is an opera house in central Naples and ranks among the oldest continuously active theaters in Europe. The auditorium follows a horseshoe layout, with rows of red velvet seating, gilded ornaments, and ceiling frescoes depicting mythological scenes.
Giovanni Antonio Medrano and Angelo Carasale designed the building, which opened on 4 November 1737 with Domenico Sarro's Achille in Sciro. A fire broke out during a ballet dress rehearsal on 13 February 1816; King Ferdinand IV had Antonio Niccolini rebuild the house within ten months, and it reopened on 12 January 1817 with Mayr's Il sogno di Partenope.
The theatre is named after Charles VII of Naples, whose name day fell on 4 November 1737, the date of its inauguration. The royal box held ten people and had private access from the Royal Palace; the 184 boxes were built without curtains so that the sovereign could see everyone from his seat.
Tours run daily and allow access to the auditorium, royal box, and entrance foyer. Visitors planning to attend a performance should book ahead, as seating is limited.
The theatre was rebuilt in ten months after the 1816 fire, and the rebuilt house opened on 12 January 1817 with Mayr's Il sogno di Partenope. Stendhal, present at the second night, wrote that the theatre dazzles the eyes and enraptures the soul. The 1844 redecoration under Niccolini, his son Fausto and Francesco Maria dei Giudice gave the interior its red and gold scheme.
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