Designed by Giuseppe Piermarini for Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and built in 1776, the Teatro alla Scala is one of the world’s great opera houses. It is also the home of a renowned dance school, a theatre school and a precious library and archive, which is housed in the Theatre Museum. The opera season traditionally opens on 7 December, the day of Saint Ambrose, patron saint of Milan. The theatre can be visited as part of a tour of the Theatre Museum (see the information sheet).
