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‘Piccola Scala’: How Milan’s theatre scene is experiencing a revival

A Milanese theatre based on the design of the city's Teatro alla Scala opera house has reopened its doors after 32 years in disrepair.

'Piccola Scala': How Milan's theatre scene is experiencing a revival
Photo: Bart Herreman

The Teatro Gerolamo is not just the latest member of the city's thriving theatre scene – it is also one of its most unique.

Familiarly known as “Piccola Scala”, the auditorium is lit by a miniature version of La Scala's iconic 84-lamp chandelier, which hangs from a miniature version of its trompe l'œil vaulted ceiling.

That everything is indeed miniature owes to the Gerolamo's original function as a theatre for children. The auditorium, which now seats 209, was the first in Europe designed for marionette shows.

But it is for its part in the renaissance of Milanese theatre that the Gerolamo was most instrumental.

Works in the local dialect had been performed by companies such as the Accademia del Teatro Nuovo since the theatre's inception, but Mussolini's widespread project of “Italianisation” almost killed off the tradition.

That was before Giorgio Strehler, the legendary Italian theatre director, renewed interest in the form with a 1955 production of the dialect play El nost Milan by Carlo Bertolazzi.


Photo: Bart Herreman

When, five years later, the actors he had sourced from various disbanded groups formed their own company – the Compagnia Stabile del Teatro Milanese – they chose the Gerolamo as their home.

Built in 1868 in Piazza Beccaria, less than ten minutes' walk from La Scala, the Gerolamo was designed by Giuseppe Mengoni – the man best known for devising Milan's Piazza del Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, from whose roof he fell to his death whilst overseeing construction.

Large portions of Milan were then being redesigned during a dynamic period following the liberation of Northern Italy from Austrian occupation by King Emanuele and Napoleon III in 1859.

Fashioned from timber reclaimed from the construction of the Galleria, the Gerolamo's neoclassical interior harks back to Hapsburg-era grandeur.


Photo: Bart Herreman

Real estate company Sanitaria Ceschina has restored the horseshoe auditorium to a condition worthy of its secondary sobriquet “la bomboniera” (the box of sweets).

Three rows of boxes are skimmed with designs in papier mâché, plaster and stucco, featuring overlapping instruments, eminent playwrights in profile and three models of the “maschera di Gianduja” – the Torinese commedia dell'arte character whose first name, Gerolamo, the theatre takes as its own.


Photo: Bart Herreman

Only the auditorium's upholstery has been subject to a makeover. Restorers Alessandra Caccia and Francesca Bazan suggest that the original sumptuous red lent a heavy atmosphere. Now, the auditorium sparkles in emerald green.

Structural additions include a bar, conference rooms and a small library on specially-constructed upper and underground levels, connected by way of a modern concrete stairwell.

Such facilities, it is hoped, will allow the Gerolamo to participate in some of Milan's highest-profile cultural events, including the world-famous design and furniture fairs.

The theatre is poised to return at a time that Milan's performing arts is booming, with large-scale restorations currently underway or recently completed at four of the city's most important theatres.


Photo: Bart Herreman

And recent data suggests that the city is successfully cultivating sustainable audiences of the future. Between 40 and 45 percent of season ticket holders at the Teatro Piccolo, Italy's pre-eminent theatre, were under the age of 26 in recent years, while the number of under-40's in La Scala's audiences has risen by 20 percent, a survey from MAKNO revealed last week.

Yet the Gerolamo will stand out for the sheer diversity of its programming. While details are still to be released, artistic director Roberto Bianchin has said that there will be jazz concerts, contemporary dance, acoustic sets, monologues and plays.

An inaugural gala event, featuring local ensemble laBarocca with a programme of Mozart and Vivaldi, demonstrated that this acoustic is perfect for performances of chamber music. The theatre's individual history will not be forgotten, however.

The Gerolamo, Bianchin assures, will rise again as Milan's primary venue for theatre in dialect and marionette shows.

By James Imam

 

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MILAN

Six downsides to expect from life in Milan

Milan is popular among international residents thanks to its job market, nightlife and public transport. But what are the downsides of life in the northern Italian city, and how bad are they really?

Six downsides to expect from life in Milan

Milan is one of the most popular Italian cities among foreigners, with over 475,000 international residents (around 14.7 percent of the city’s total population).

After Rome, Milan is also the second-most popular Italian destination among native English speakers, with UK and US nationals leading the pack with 2,380 and 1,500 residents respectively.

READ ALSO: Ten things you need to know before moving to Italy

But, while life under la Madonnina comes with a number of attractive upsides, residents also have their share of complaints: in fact, the city is regularly voted one of the “worst” in the world for foreigners to move to.

So what are the potential negatives to know about if you’re planning a move to Milan?

Expensive accommodation

Whether you’re renting or buying, finding accommodation in Milan will not come cheap. 

According to the latest data from property market portal Wikicasa, monthly rent comes at an average of around €22 per square metre – that’s €6 over the regional average, and almost €10 higher than national average. 

READ ALSO: ‘It takes time’: Foreign residents on what it’s really like to live in Milan

According to Numbeo estimates, renting a one-bedroom flat in the city centre will set you back over €1,400 a month on average, while renting the same type of flat in the outskirts will come at an average monthly price of around €950. 

If you’re looking to purchase a property in the city, the average asking price is €5,470 per square metre – that’s more than €3,000 over the regional average, and over €3,500 above the national average (€1,910 per square metre).

Milan, view

A general view of Milan in April 2023 from the Foundazione Prada building. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

High cost of living 

Over the past few years, Milan has consistently ranked amongst the Italian cities with the higher living costs (it took the title of most expensive Italian city to live in in 2022).

According to estimates from online investment advisor Moneyfarm, the average Milan family spends around €450 a month on groceries, €50 more than the average family in Rome.

READ ALSO: How much does it cost to live in Milan in 2024?

A restaurant meal in Milan will also generally cost you more than in most other Italian cities. For instance, a three-course meal for two in a mid-range city restaurant will set you back around €80 in Milan, while the national average stands at €50.

As for utility bills, monthly bollette for an 85-square-metre flat in Milan are estimated to add up to an average of €252.

Questionable driving 

If you have never driven in Milan before, it may take you some time to get accustomed to local driving habits. 

Milan is a bustling city where everyone seems to always be in a rush. This goes for motorists too, who tend to routinely neglect speed limits and traffic signs.

Overall, defensive driving is strongly advised for people that are new to the city.

Pollution

Though it slid down from second to tenth place in the latest ranking of the most polluted Italian cities by environmental watchdog Legambiente, Milan residents continue to breathe some of the most polluted air in the country.

The city’s population density, road traffic and heavily industrialised outskirts all contribute to poor air quality, with the situation generally being worse during the cold months due to dry spells.

READ ALSO: ‘I’ve lost hope’: What it’s like living in Italy’s most polluted cities

Anti-smog measures, including bans on high-emission vehicles, were introduced in late February in Milan after particulate matter (PM10) levels exceeded limits for a fourth day in a row. 

Smog, Milan

A blanket of smog covers Milan’s skyline on February 21st 2024. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Not-so-Mediterranean climate

Italy is generally known for its sunny and pleasantly warm weather conditions for the most part of a year, but Milan has little in the way of that. 

Summers in the city are hot (between 25C and 30C on average during the day) and very, very humid, while winters are fairly cold (temperatures range from -2C to 8C on average) and gloomy. 

READ ALSO: Six essential apps that make life in Milan easier

Also, Milan has between 80 to 90 rainy days a year, with May generally being the rainiest time of the year.

Critical taxi shortage 

This is an issue that is by no means specific to Milan alone, as most major cities in Italy have long been dealing with cab shortages. 

But to give you an idea of the scale of the problem, a recent report from Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera found that the Milan metropolitan area has around 500,000 “unresolved calls” – that is, people who try and fail to book a taxi – every month. 

READ ALSO: Italy’s taxis are often a nightmare, but will things ever change?

Normal Uber services are not available in the city; Uber Black services are, but a ride won’t come cheap (a ride from central Milan to Malpensa airport can cost between €170 and €305).

If you live in Milan, do the positives outweigh the negatives? Let us know in the comments below.

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