Description of the attraction
The Municipal Theater of Giuseppe Verdi is one of the architectural monuments of the resort town of Salerno and one of its main attractions. The theater was inaugurated in 1872 with the production of Rigoletto by the great composer Giuseppe Verdi. And a year after Verdi's death, the theater began to bear his name.
The theater building was built on the initiative of the then mayor of the city, Matteo Luciani. Architects Antonio d'Amora and Giuseppe Manichini worked on the project, and the scenery was done by Gaetano d'Agostino. Today, the theater is a splendid example of 19th century architecture, with its original wooden structures preserved. After the 1980 earthquake, it was closed for 14 long years. Then, in 1994, large-scale restoration work began, the main task of which was to preserve the original structure of the building as much as possible.
All the scenery of the theater and iconographic equipment make it possible to speak of it as a kind of musical temple. A bronze statue of the dying Pergolesi by Giovanni Battista Amendola greets the audience in the hall. And on the ceiling you can see Gioacchino Rossini, inspired by the nine muses and creating his greatest works. Of particular value is the curtain depicting the expulsion of the Saracens from Salerno - this is the creation of Domenico Morelli, considered one of the most beautiful in Italy. And on the facade of the building you can see laughing angels, as if walking one after another.
Today, the Municipal Theater of Giuseppe Verdi hosts opera seasons, ballet performances, concerts and theatrical performances.
