Teatro Carlo Felice (Carlo Felice Theatre), Genoa

The Carlo Felice Theatre is Genoa’s grand opera house, originally designed by Carlo Barabino and inaugurated in 1828 with Bellini’s Bianca and Fernando, it was named in honor of King Carlo Felice of Sardinia. Featuring a majestic neoclassical pronaos-the only part of the original building to survive World War II-the theater has been reborn as a symbol of cultural resilience.

Though the bombings of World War II devastated most of the structure, the façade remained intact and sparked an ambitious post-war reconstruction. Between 1987 and 1991, a team led by Pritzker-prize–winner Aldo Rossi, alongside Ignazio Gardella and others, rebuilt the interior with modern stage machinery and auditorium design, while preserving Barabino’s classic exterior.

Today, the Carlo Felice is the cultural heart of Genoa’s musical life, hosting opera, ballet, orchestral concerts, recitals, and special events. The theater boasts a main hall seating around 2,000 and a smaller auditorium for 200, both equipped with state-of-the-art staging systems and acoustics praised since the 19th century. Among the treasures in the foyer are modern frescoes by Aurelio Caminati and tapestries by Raimondo Sirotti, which sit alongside a historic statue of San Domenico-a testament to the theater’s layered aesthetic.