The Teatro Sociale Theatre in Como, designed by architect Giuseppe Cusi, saw the light of day in 1813 thanks to the determination of the then mayor of Como, Gian Pietro Porro, and some intellectuals who were part of an association called the Società dei Palchettisti, which still exists today and owns the theatre.
But let us reconstruct the various events that led to the realization of this work.
You should know that on June 7th, 1764, a number of art- and culture-loving citizens of Como formed the Società dei Palchettisti to manage the city's theatre, which at the time was housed in the Broletto. The municipality, however, was not satisfied with entrusting a public good to private individuals, so in 1811 it granted ownership to the palchettisti of the nearby Castello della Torre Rotonda, by then in disrepair, and took back the Broletto to use it as an archive.
The Castello della Torre Rotonda, dating back to 1250, had been part of the fortified citadel of Como under the rule of the Visconti family in the 14th century, was then occupied by the Spanish, French and Austrians during their respective dominions, and finally fell into disrepair and was torn down to make way for the new building.
The theatre was then inaugurated on August 28th, 1813, while the facades were not completed in the current style until several years later between 1819 and 1821.
In 1855, the structure was enlarged with the creation of a fifth gallery, achieved by raising the theatre's auditorium by one floor, which can now accommodate a total of 900 spectators.
As you admire the elegant neoclassical façade, and the tall Corinthian columns, just think… among the first great artists to perform on the stage of this temple of music are such prestigious names as Nicolò Paganini in 1823 and Franz Liszt in 1837.
I bid you farewell you with an interesting fact: among the greatest supporters of the establishment of Como's Teatro Sociale Theatre was the great Como scientist Alessandro Volta, who was a member of the city council in 1811. To celebrate the centenary of his most important invention, the battery, the theatre was outfitted with electricity in 1899.
