It was from the reconstruction after ilterremoto of 1693, that it was discussed on the site more appropriate to devote to the construction of a theatre for the city. In 1812, with the laying of the first stone of what was supposed to be the "Great municipal Theatre, the piazza Nuovaluce on a project by the architect Salvatore Zahra Buda.
Many, however, were the difficulties, not the least of which are economic order that impediromo the crowning achievement of the original project.
Again in 1870 the idea of building a Theatre is taken up by a group of shareholders that have entrusted the project to the archietetto Scale, but soon the Società Anonima del Politeama take over l?the municipal authorities, which will change the destination of the usoa the lyric theatre and in 1880, we will entrust the project to the archietto Sada, who will speak on the existing building and changing it.
However, while the works are finished, you will have to wait three years for the opening that avveràà not before 31 may 1890 with the "Norma" of Bellini. By laurel have performed the greatest opera singers.
The inside of the theatre is composed by a large living room with an acoustic considered among the best in the world.
The gallery consists of four tiers of boxes, and around are situated the elegant corridors , salonie the foyer, inside which is located a monument dedicated to Vincenzo Bellini. The author of the frescoes of the ceiling is Ernesto Bellandi, while the antisipario, that narradi a legendary victory of catania on the libyans was painted in 1883 by the painter Giuseppe Sciuti. In front of the Theatre, to the piazza in the centre of which, in the intenioni of Sada, it would have had to be placed a monument of the due proportions to be dedicated to the Bellini, which, in effect, was commissioned by the Administration to each artist Monteverde, but which today is located in piazza Stesicoro.
