going to the theater in italy can be so much fun. everyone always dresses up, making any event more spectacular.
my husband, bob, and i were excited to finally attend a performance at teatro alla scala during our recent holiday in milan.
first, we walked the short distance from the grand hotel et de milan to the bulgari hotel. il giardino, the alfresco lounge at the bulgari hotel, is one of the chicest places in milan for an aperitivo. what better way to start the evening? surrounded by fashionable people, eating delicious food, in a stylish setting.
il giardino | bulgari hotel | milan, italy
photo credit hotels.com
dedon lounge furniture | designed by frank ligthart
dedon lighting by flos | designed by philippe stark
photo credits dedon and dedon

chef andrea ferrero
aperitivos at il giardino
photo credits fashion week daily and yelp.it
afterwards, we walked the short distance from the bulgari hotel to teatro alla scala.
teatro alla scala | designed by giuseppe piermarini | 1776-1778
photo credit easyart.com
the 18th century neoclassical theater was restored and restructured by architect mario botta from 2002-2004. so, it was closed for renovation the entire time that bob and i lived in london. the 61 million euro renovation project included conservative restoration of the 18th century building, enlarging the stage, orchestra pit, and backstage, as well as constructing a new service building.
teatro alla scala | restored and restructured by mario botta | 2002-2004
18th century building | rectangular stage tower | elliptical service building
photo credit mario botta
architectural model of teatro alla scala | restored and restructured by mario botta | 2002-2004
click here or here for a virtual tour of the renovated theater
photo credit mario botta
even though we’re not really opera or ballet afficianados, we really enjoyed attending a performance of the ballet, onegin, in this magnificent setting.
onegin | teatro alla scala | 11 september 2012
photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace
onegin act I
lenskij and ol’ga
onegin act I
the corps de ballet
onegin act III
tat’jana and il principe gremin
onegin act III
onegin and tat’jana
photo credits marco breschia and rudy amisano
but to us, the setting and the experience seemed as theatrical as the performance!