The new “Royal Opera House” was designed by the prominent English architect Edward Middleton Barry. It was completed after four years, with a seating capacity of 1095 and 200 standing, and inaugurated on October 9, 1866 with Vincenzo Bellini’s opera I Puritani. In May 1873 the theatre accidentally caught fire and its interior was extensively damaged. Restoration work was taken up immediately so th
at on October 11, 1877 the theatre reopened with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida. For many years the theatre served as the prime theatrical venue of Malta but on the evening of Tuesday, April 7, 1942 the theatre suffered its second tragedy when it was devastated in an aerial attack by Stuka dive-bombers. Eventually, the ruins fell into disuse but in 2006, the government announced a proposal to redevelop the site and adjacent piazza to provide an open-air theatre and a new location for the House of Parliament. Thus the Pjazza Teatru Rjal came to be. It was officially inaugurated on August 8, 2013. Today Pjazza Teatru Rjal has been integrated into the old theatre’s ruins. It is regarded as a monument that stands for the heroism, tenacity and dignity of the Maltese who stood against enemy action in the Second World War. At the same time the newly built theatre shows an aspiration to preserve past culture with a promise to create and nurture new artistic ideas.
