Massimo Bellini Theatre in Catania was inaugurated on 31 May 1890 with Vincenzo Bellini’s most important opera, Norma. Entrusted to Milan architect Carlo Sada’s talent and creativity, it hosted musicians, conductors and great artists such as Vittorio Gui, Georg Solti, Gino Marinuzzi, Antonio Guarnieri, Riccardo Muti, Pavarotti, Maria Callas and Caballé from the very beginning. All masterpieces of musical theatre have been performed on stage, from Mozart to contemporary works such as Divara by Azio Corghi.
Bellini’s orchestra consists of 105 performers and a chorus of 84 members, while a large group of set designers and technicians work behind the scenes. The auditorium has perfect acoustics and 1200 seats; an opera season and a symphonic season are staged here every year. As for the architectural style of the theatre, the façade is neoclassical, clearly inspired by the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice, while the ceiling of the main room was frescoed by the famous Ernesto Bellandi in reference to Bellini’s operas: La sonnambula, Il pirata, I puritani and Norma.