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Teatro alla Scala opens in Milan

La Scala is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as il Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala (lit. 'the New Royal Ducal Theatre...

La Scala is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as il Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala (lit. 'the New Royal Ducal Theatre at the Scala', which previously was a church). The premiere performance was Antonio Salieri's Europa riconosciuta.

Most of Italy's greatest operatic artists, and many of the finest singers from around the world, have appeared at La Scala. The theatre is regarded as being one of the leading opera and ballet theatres globally. It is home to the La Scala Theatre Chorus, La Scala Theatre Ballet, La Scala Theatre Orchestra, and the Filarmonica della Scala orchestra.

Historical Significance

La Scala is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy.

Events Before

  1. General George Washington's Revolutionary Army defeats British forces at the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey

    The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials.

  2. US Continental Congress adopts the Stars & Stripes flag, designed by Francis Hopkinson, replacing the Grand Union flag

    The Betsy Ross flag is a 1792 design for the flag of the United States that first appeared in a painting of George Washington at Trenton by John Trumbull.

  3. American seamstress Betsy Ross (25) weds (for the 2nd time) mariner Joseph Ashburn

    American seamstress Betsy Ross (25) weds (for the 2nd time) mariner Joseph Ashburn

  4. Independent Vermont introduces a new constitution prohibiting slavery

    Independent Vermont introduces a new constitution prohibiting slavery

  5. King Louis XVI of France and his Foreign Minister clandestinely agree to supply the United States with munitions during

    King Louis XVI of France and his Foreign Minister clandestinely agree to supply the United States with munitions during the American Revolution

Events After

  1. Botanist Joseph Banks (36) weds Dorothea Hugessen

    Botanist Joseph Banks (36) weds Dorothea Hugessen

  2. US Defector General Benedict Arnold (38) weds Peggy Shippen (18) at Shippen's townhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    US Defector General Benedict Arnold (38) weds Peggy Shippen (18) at Shippen's townhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  3. Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of France and the USA, starting the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which lasts

    Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of France and the USA, starting the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which lasts 3 years, 7 months, and 2 weeks

  4. John Adams is appointed to negotiate Revolutionary War peace terms with Great Britain

    John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801.

  5. Joséphine de Beauharnais, future Empress of the French, marries her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, in Paris

    Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.

More from the 1770s

United States Declaration of Independence

The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, announcing the separation of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain.

politics government

US founding father Thomas Jefferson (30) marries Martha Wayles Skelton (23)

Martha Skelton Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death in 1782. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781.

Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities

The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 3, 1778?
La Scala is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as il Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala (lit. 'the New Royal Ducal Theatre at the Scala', which previously was a church).
Why is Teatro alla Scala opens in Milan significant?
La Scala is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy.

Explore More

August 3 in HistoryYear 1778