The Teatro Regio di Parma opened as the Nuovo Teatro Ducale and took its present name after Italy's unification in 1861. Architect Nicola Bettoli designed it with the support of Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, who oversaw construction from 1821 on the site of a former monastery. It opened on May 16, 1829, with the premiere of Bellini's Zaira.
The auditorium seats 1,400 across four tiers of boxes topped by a gallery. The neoclassical facade has ten Ionic granite columns at its base and bas-reliefs by Tommaso Bandini. An 1853 restoration gave the interior a neo-Baroque look with red velvet and gold.
Verdi directed Nabucco there on April 17, 1843, and the theatre has staged all his operas. The Verdi Festival has been held each October since 2003. The audience in the upper gallery is known for voicing approval or disapproval.
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