The Teatro Massimo in Palermo

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The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo, when it opened with Verdi's opera "Falstaff" in 1897, was the third largest opera house in Europe after Paris and Vienna – and it remains so today. With its monumental grand staircase, imposing columns, and lion statues at the entrance, it makes a powerful impression on the cityscape and is more reminiscent of an ancient temple than a theater. But the auditorium is truly stunning, with its boxes, red velvet upholstery, gilded statues and ornamentation, and a painted ceiling that can be moved for ventilation.

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The interior of the Teatro Massimo can be experienced either during an opera performance or as part of a guided tour. Attending a performance is, of course, a truly special experience, as a sophisticated audience strolls through the building and the beautiful space is filled with music of the highest quality – the resident orchestra is renowned, and the theater regularly engages internationally acclaimed singers.

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Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" during our visit in April 2025 - we were impressed by the quality of the singers and the "Orchestra del Teatro Massimo"

On a guided tour (more information below), you can photograph the rooms without people around, visit spaces that are sometimes inaccessible during performances, and receive fascinating background information. We highly recommend doing both – the guided tour and attending an opera performance!

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The tour includes a visit to the circular Sala Pompeiana, which was intended as a lounge for the audience during intermissions. The wall paintings are inspired by antiquity and reminiscent of Pompeii – hence the name.

Originally reserved for the Italian royal family and high-ranking guests, the Salone Reale (Royal Salon) had a direct connection to the royal box, which was flanked by two golden statues and bore the royal coat of arms on its entrance doors and capitals. This magnificent royal box symbolized Sicily's integration into the new Italian nation-state, to which Sicily had belonged for only 37 years at the time of the theater's opening. Incidentally, the reigning king at the time of its construction was Umberto I of the House of Savoy.

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The royal couple, who resided in Rome, were in Palermo for the opening on May 16, 1897 , but stayed away from the official opening ceremony, as their stay in Sicily coincided with protests. While they were greeted enthusiastically by some of the population, others were demonstrating against taxes and high food prices. A report on the opening also quotes the king's critical question: "Does Palermo really need such a large theater?"

In fact, King Umberto I is said never to have visited the theater - the displeasure about this is said to be symbolized by the depiction of a poisonous belladonna plant in the ceiling painting of the royal box.

Unfortunately, the foyer of the Teatro Massimo already shows clear signs of age - fortunately, renovations are planned in stages.

The construction of the Teatro Massimo was also met with considerable public criticism for various reasons. The enormous costs were primarily financed by the city of Palermo, which consequently incurred significant debt. The Catholic newspaper "La Sicilia Cattolica" is said to have referred to the opera house as a "teatro maledetto" – a cursed theater – in a critical article in 1879. It expressed outrage at the construction costs, particularly in light of the lack of hospital beds for the poor and sick, and at the demolition of four churches and two monasteries for the Teatro Massimo, including historically valuable Baroque churches with frescoes and stucco work by important artists. These churches had already been deconsecrated – at least in part – in 1866 as part of the anti-clerical laws with which the young Italian state sought to curb the influence of the Catholic Church. In total, an area of 25,000 square meters was redeveloped for the construction of the Teatro Massimo – the demolition of the churches, sections of the historic city wall, and other buildings was also required.

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Now for the interesting planning history: In 1864, the mayor of Palermo announced a competition for the opera house, attracting 35 architects, including twelve from abroad. The three-member jury included the German Gottfried Semper, who had designed the Semperoper in Dresden. Giovan Battista Filippo Basile, a native of Palermo, won the competition in 1868 – the original wooden model is still on display in the theater's entrance foyer. This was followed by protests against the decision, primarily from Basile's rival, Giuseppe Damiani Ameyda, who demanded a review and annulment, taking legal action against it. Ameyda had received the commission in 1865, a year after the competition, to design the Teatro Politeama, located just one kilometer away, which opened in 1874. The dispute over the decision in favor of Basile's plan dragged on for years, compounded by financing problems and delays caused by land expropriation and demolition. Construction finally began seven years later, in 1875, with the laying of the foundation stone. Just three years later, construction was temporarily halted due to financial difficulties. Twelve years of inactivity—over a decade of a massive construction site in the heart of Palermo! Work resumed in 1890, and the architect died a year later. His son, Ernesto Basile (1857–1932), was commissioned to complete the project. Already a respected architect at the time, he designed the magnificent interior, including the royal box, auditorium, and foyer.

Ernesto Basile also designed the two kiosks in front of the Teatro Massimo - originally drinks were sold in the Chiosco Ribaudo - today you can buy usual kiosk goods there.

Ernesto Basile is considered one of the most important representatives of Italian Art Nouveau, also known as Liberty. Other significant works include the Villa Igiea (converted into a luxury hotel), Villa Florio, Villa Ida, his own residence named after his wife, Villa Deliella (unfortunately demolished in 1959), and the Kurhaus Biondo in Palermo. In 1902, he received one of Italy's most prestigious commissions: the redesign of the Italian Parliament! He designed the interiors down to the smallest detail, from the furniture and lighting to the doors. Prior to this, as an already very famous architect, he had designed important buildings and palazzi in Rome. You can read more about the close connection to our Santa Flavia below...

The history of the Teatro Massimo remains eventful – it was closed for 23 years, from 1974 to 1997, and fell into increasing disrepair during that time. Initially, a manageable renovation and modernization of the stage technology were planned. The closure, however, escalated into a political scandal and became a symbol of the Mafia's influence through mismanagement, corruption, and internal conflicts. The Teatro Massimo was ceremoniously reopened in May 1997 – and fittingly, Mahler's Second Symphony, the "Resurrection Symphony," was performed there later that same month.

Ticket sales for opera, ballet, or concert performances at the Teatro Massimo have a unique feature: subscription sales begin before individual tickets become available. Therefore, it's sometimes only possible to purchase tickets three to four weeks before the performance. The program schedule indicates the sales release date for each production; it's best to save the date of the sales launch for your desired performance in your calendar to secure your tickets.

Guided tours are best booked in advance via the Teatro Massimo website . They take place daily between 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The standard tour lasts 40 minutes, and depending on the group, information is provided in Italian, English, German, French, and Spanish. Regular prices are €14, €7 for those under 26, free for children under six, and a family ticket (two adults and two children) costs €36.

In addition, there are special tours offering a behind-the-scenes look at the technical implementation of opera productions (additional charge of 5 euros), tours followed by an aperitif in the royal salon (from 15 people, 55 euros per person) and combination tickets called "OPERART" for 19 euros, which include a tour of the Teatro Massimo and admission to the Palazzo Butera or Palazzo Branciforte and Villa Zito.

And what is the connection between the Teatro Massimo and the municipality of Santa Flavia, where the Casa America is located?

Anyone arriving at Casa America by train will immediately notice this beautiful villa at the "S. Flavia - Solunto" station. It was the first building designed by Ernesto Basile, who later completed the Teatro Massimo. He was just 17 years old when, in 1874, he created the first design for the Basile family's summer residence with the help of his father. The villa was completed in 1878. It is privately owned and, unfortunately, can only be viewed from the outside. It is in poor condition, and one can only hope that its decay will eventually be addressed with a renovation. Diagonally opposite, on the other side of the railway tracks and easily overlooked behind an overgrown fence, is a fountain with a sculpture that presumably depicts Neptune battling an octopus and certainly belonged to the Villa Basile grounds.

The Neptune Fountain in Santa Flavia probably also belonged to the Villa Basile, but unfortunately reliable information on this cannot be found.

There is another building in Santa Flavia designed by Ernesto Basile! The billiard room on the ground floor of the Villa Filangeri, which now houses the town hall. The room, with its surrounding wood paneling and early Liberty-style floral paintings, is unfortunately not open to the public, but photos of this little gem can be found online.