La Scala

La Scala, opera house in Milan, Italy. Officially called Teatro alla Scala, it was built by command of Maria Theresa, archduchess of Austria, after a fire destroyed the old ducal theater in 1776. The site had been occupied by a church, Santa Maria della Scala, built by a member of the della Scala family, former rulers of Verona. The new opera house was opened on August 3, 1778, with a performance of L'Europa Riconosciuta by Antonio Salieri. The building was remodeled in 1867 and thoroughly modernized in 1921. Severely damaged in World War II, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1946. The theater has a seating capacity of 3600. The building also contains a small, secondary theater known as Piccola Scala, for the performance of chamber operas, and an opera museum. Many notable world premieres have been given at La Scala.