La Scala

It opened in 1778 on the site of the church of Santa Maria alla Scala, which gave it its name. Verdi, Puccini and Bellini premiered operas here. Bombs destroyed most of it in 1943, and Toscanini conducted the reopening concert in 1946. Architect Mario Botta renovated it between 2002 and 2004.

The season opens every 7 December, the feast of Saint Ambrose, the city's patron. The Museo Teatrale holds instruments, portraits and mementoes of singers and composers, and from its boxes you can look into the red-and-gold auditorium with its six tiers and great chandelier.