Italy, Opera’s ancestral home, offers visitors a rich choice of operatic seasons throughout most of the year. The Teatro alla Scala of Milano, the Teatro San Carlo of Napoli and the Teatro dell’Opera of Roma are world-renowned for technical perfection of performances and detailed magnificence of scenery and costumes. The opera season lasts from December to june, as do the seasons at Italy’s other major opera houses:
Teatro la Fenice (Venezia), Teatro Massimo (Palermo), Teatro Regio (Parma), Teatro Comunale (Firenze), Teatro Petruzzelli (Bari), Teatro Massimo Bellini (Catania), Teatro Comunale (Bologna), Teatro Comunale Verdi (Trieste), Teatro Comunale (Genova) and Teatro Regio (Torino).

Throughout summer, spectacular open-air opera is presented at the Terme di Caracalla in Roma (July/August), the Arena in Verona (July/August) and the Arena Sferisterio in Macerata (July). During July and August the Teatro Rossetti of Trieste presents an Operetta Festival. Two of the most important Italian festivals of the performing arts are the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (opera, concerts, ballet, drama) in Firenze (May to June) and the Festival of Two Worlds (opera, concerts, ballet, drama, art exhibits) in Spoleto from mid-June to mid-July.