Originally named “Riccardi” after its maker, this Theatre is mostly renown as the place where Donizetti’s operas (more than 70!) were spread and appreciated by his fellow citizens. Try to imagine the emotion experienced by Donizetti in theatre, when the audience assisting to the opera “L’esule di Roma – The exile from Rome”, gave a sincere and warm ovation. This happened in 1840: Donizetti would eventually die of disease in Bergamo a few years later, in his hometown, in 1848. The Teatro Riccardi was built in 1791, featuring a plastered façade and a small portico, very different from today. An arson destroyed it in 1798, so it was rebuilt and opened back in 1800. In 1897, during the 100th anniversary of Gaetano Donizetti’s birth, the Teatro Riccardi took the name of the famous composer: it also underwent several works that led to its current look. Source: <a href="http://www.visitbergamo.net" rel="nofollow">www.visitbergamo.net</a>