Saturday Travel Feature

Teatro Massimo Bellini Opera House 

Catania, Sicily

"The Teatro Massimo Bellini is an opera house in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. Named after the local-born composer Vincenzo Bellini, it was inaugurated on 31 May 1890 with a performance of the composer's masterwork, Norma. It seats 1,200." (See Link 1.)  Discussions about building a new opera house started after the 1695 earthquake that destroyed Catania, but the foundationstone wasn't laid until 1812.

"The exterior of the house matches the distinctive Sicilian Baroque style of the neighboring buildings of the late 17th Century. Its marble foyer, the “Ridotto”, is ornate and stuccoed, and a statue of Bellini is located between the central arches. The beautiful red-plush interior includes the main floor seating and four tiers of boxes. Surrounding them, on the upper level, are unusual arched arcades. The painted ceiling of the theatre is quite spectacular in its depiction of scenes from four of Bellini’s most well-known operas." See Link 1.)

The 2010 ballet to be performed at the Teatro Massimo Bellini Opera House  is Romeo E Giulietta by the Stagione Liricai Balletti. (See Link 2.)

Photo: Taken in Catania, Sicily, Italy in April 2010 by SW.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teatro_Massimo_Bellini

Link 2: http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.informasicilia.it/2010/04/06/catania-teatro-massimo-bellini-lirica-con-il-balletto-%25E2%2580%259Cromeo-e-giulietta%25E2%2580%259D-di-prokofiev/&ei=b6YOTIy5E5T6NYaQ2fcM&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBgQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DCatania%2BSicily%2BRomeo%2BE%2BGiulietta%2Bby%2Bthe%2BStagione%2BLiricai%2BBalletti%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG