Theatre in Sicily

Vittorio Emanuele Theatre (Messina)

Discover the Theater Seasons at the Vittorio Emanuele Theatre 

Between Via Garibaldi and Corso Cavour in Messina, stands the first and largest of the 19th-century theaters in Sicily. Its creation was strongly sought by Ferdinand II of Bourbon to please the Peloritan elite. It was designed by Pietro Valente following the Neoclassical style and was inaugurated in 1852. Today Vittorio Emanuele Theatre houses a rich program of prose and music performances, hosting some of the most prestigious companies and artists in the world.

Teatro Stabile (Catania) 

Discover the Theater Seasons of the Teatro Stabile 

The history of Catania’s Teatro Stabile, inaugurated in 1958, begins in an old garage on Via Umberto. Among the island’s major cultural hubs, today the Stabile di Catania is renowned worldwide for its Mediterranean flair, strongly linked to the Sicilian theatrical tradition and capable of renewing itself in every artistic expression. One of the missions of what can to all intents and purposes be called a committed theater is to bring the general public closer to prose.
A fucine of internationally renowned actors and directors, among the activities promoted is the Umberto Spadaro School of Dramatic Art.

Massimo Vincenzo Bellini Theatre (Catania) 

Discover the Theater Seasons of the Massimo Vincenzo Bellini Theatre

On the stage of Catania‘s Massimo Vincenzo Bellini Theatre, considered the theatre with the best acoustics in the world, all the greatest artists of the 20th century have played and all the masterpieces of musical theater have been performed. Today the theatre is the focal point of Catania’s musical life and is equipped with an 80-piece orchestra and a 57-piece chorus.

Politeama Garibaldi Theatre (Palermo) 

Discover the Theater Seasons at the Politeama Garibaldi Theatre

Palermo’s Politeama Garibaldi Theatre, which bears the signature of architect Giuseppe Damiani Almejda, rises in one of the city’s liveliest squares, affectionately referred to by the locals as “Piazza Politeama.” Today it is the home of the Fondazione Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, a prestigious musical cultural institution among the leading symphony orchestras in Italy.

Massimo Theatre (Palermo)

Discover the Theater Seasons of the Massimo Theatre

Today, the Massimo Theatre is the stage for national and international opera. If the Politeama was built to entertain the “people,” the Teatro Massimo aimed to become a recreational landmark for the middle class and the nobility. Designed by architect Giovan Battista Basile, it is the largest opera theatre building in Italy, third largest in Europe right behind the Opéra National in Paris and the Staatsoper in Vienna.

Pirandello Theatre (Agrigento)

Discover the Theater Seasons of the Pirandello Theatre

In 1881, during the visit of Majesty Umberto I King of Italy and Queen Margherita, it was to the latter that Girgenti dedicated the then “Regina Margherita” Theater. Since 1946 the theatre has taken the name of the famous playwright Luigi Pirandello. That of the Pirandello Theatre is a troubled history but with a happy ending: the final reopening took place in 1995, with a performance of Pirandello’s opera “Il berretto a sonagli.” Since then, artistic performances and theater seasons have succeeded one another with great audience participation.

Garibaldi Theatre (Enna)

Discover the Theater Season of the Garibaldi Theatre

Today the Garibaldi Municipal Theatre offers audiences a wide-ranging program of performances embracing prose, music, dance and classical music plays, as well as shows for young people and cultural events. Solemnly inaugurated in 1872, the theatre was integrated, with a result of perfect harmony, into the existing 18th-century Palazzo Senatorio, later called the Municipal House or Town Hall.

Regina Margherita Theatre (Caltanissetta)

Discover the Theater Season of the Regina Margherita Theatre

The central Piazza Garibaldi overlooks the Nissen theatre, which is an offshoot of the Palazzo del Carmine, home to the town hall. In nineteenth-century neoclassical style, today the Regina Margherita Theatre, thanks to a synergy between the public and private sectors, is always offering new playbills that can cater to a diversified audience.

Municipal Theatre (Syracuse) 

Discover the Theater Seasons of the Municipal Theatre of Syracuse 

Grand and magnificent, the Municipal Theatre of Syracuse stands on the island of Ortigia. The difficulties involved in its construction and opening, as well as some unfortunate setbacks, have fueled picturesque popular legends. Ready to welcome its audience with art festivals, it is really worth admiring even just its interior with a guided tour.

Tina di Lorenzo Theater (Noto)

Discover the Theater Seasons at Tina di Lorenzo Theatre.

At the time of its solemn inauguration, the Municipal Theatre of Noto was named after King Victor Emmanuel III. From that moment, world-renowned artists such as Tina di Lorenzo, Pierantonio Tasca and Eleanore Duse trod that stage. Season after season, the “Tina di Lorenzo” Theater Foundation of Noto provides theatrical and cultural performances of sublime quality.

Greek Theatre (Syracuse)

Discover the Theater Seasons of the Greek Theatre

In his Voyage en Sicile (1788) Dominique Venon listed the Greek Theatre of Syracuse among the most beautiful sites in the world. Set in the Neapolis Archaeological Park and carved out of the rock of the Temenite Hill, the Greek Theatre of Siracusa is characterized by its semicircular cavea, orchestra and stage. A universal symbol of culture, it hosted over the millennia and still hosts today, thanks to the INDA Foundation, the captivating Classical Performances.

Teatro Antico (Taormina)

Discover the Theater Seasons at the Teatro Antico

Taormina’s Teatro Antico is the most fascinating historical monument in the “Pearl of the Ionian Sea.” In his famous Journey to Italy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe wrote, “Never has the audience of a theater had before it such a spectacle.” As part of the Archaeological Park of Naxos and Taormina, the Ancient Theater consists of a stage, orchestra and cavea. Its venue is home to the “Taormina Film Festival”, “Taobuk” and “Taormina Arte.”

If theatre is your passion, plan your trip to discover individual Sicilian theaters and the annual events planned in each season.