The Theatre named for Giuseppe Verdi is on the site of a pre-existing theatre where a young Verdi had conducted the symphony from Il barbiere di Siviglia. Plans for the new theatre were drawn up by the architect Pier Luigi Montecchini and it was constructed between 1859 and 1864 by Maestro Giovanni Sivelli and decorated by the Parma artists, Biasi and Malpeli. The ceiling medallions showing Comedy, Tragedy, Melodrama and romantic Drama were painted by the local artist Gioacchino Levi. The official opening took place on 15th August 1868 with two Verdi operas: Un ballo in Maschera and Rigoletto. The Theatre has always been extremely functional with a deep stage fully equipped with scenery and machinery, a number of dressing rooms, an auditorium with two orders of 16 boxes each as well as an upper gallery, the salon of the ‘Ridotto’, a smoking room, “trattoria”, rehearsal room, scenery room and bronze lamps. The ‘Ridotto’ or reduced size space adjacent to the auditorium has a tribune which can seat musicians as well as a large gilded mirror by Giuseppe Carletti. Never to be forgotten were the seasons of 1913 and 1926 when the Verdi celebrations were conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The Theatre has recently been restored with an updating of safety features and can hold around 300 spectators.
