Overview
Commissioned by Ferdinand II of Bourbon, the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele II in Messina was inaugurated in 1852. Built in neoclassical style to a design by Neapolitan architect Pietro Valente, the theatre was damaged during the 1908 Messina earthquake and later underwent expansion and restoration.
Today, it is the main theatre in the city of Messina and the largest in Sicily in terms of capacity among regional theatres. It offers a varied programme ranging from drama, musicals, opera and ballet. Its ceiling features a fresco by painter Renato Guttuso, dedicated to the myth of Colapesce.
Not everyone knows that the Canadian soprano Marie-Louise-Emma-Cécile Lajeunesse, better known by her stage name Emma Albani, made her debut in this theatre on 22 December 1869.
