The Teatro Sangiorgi or Sangiorgi Theater is a cinematography, song, and drama stage located on Via Antonino di Sangiuliano #233 of central

Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...

, region of

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, Italy. It was erected in 1900, across the street from the Palazzo Manganelli, and designed in a

Liberty style Liberty style ( ) was the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, which flourished between about 1890 and 1914. It was also sometimes known as ("floral style"), ("new art"), or ("modern style" not to be confused with the Spanish variant of Art Nouveau ...

(Italian Art Nouveau). It is presently owned by the same entity as the

Teatro Massimo Bellini The Teatro Massimo Bellini is an opera house located on Piazza Vincenzo Bellini in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. Named after the local-born composer Vincenzo Bellini, it was inaugurated on 31 May 1890 with a performance of the composer's mas ...

History and description

When it was inaugurated in 1900 as mainly a stage for live opera during a summer season, the complex included a cafe, restaurant, and even a small hotel. The opening performance was ''

La bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

'' di

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...

. It was commissioned by Mario Sangiorgi to serve a lighter open air fare and entertainment than the opulent Teatro Massimo Bellini. By 1906, the theater was screening cinema projections. The theater was not roofed till 1907, and further decoration was provided in the atrium by the painter Salvatore De Gregorio. The fortunes of the theater declined, and by the 1960s the theater remained closed until 2002, when it underwent restoration and commissioned the theater as an alternate hall for the Teatro Bellini. It also stages performances for younger audiences.

References

Entry on history
in Teatro Massimo Bellini website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sangiorgi Catania Theatres in Sicily Buildings and structures in Catania Sangiorgi Art Nouveau architecture in Italy Theatres completed in 1900 1900 establishments in Italy 19th-century architecture in Italy