On today's date in 1778, Italy's most famous opera house opened with a performance of "L'Europa riconosciuta," a work written specially for the occasion by Antonio Salieri. The new theater took its name from its location, previously occupied by the church of Santa Maria della Scala, which in turn was named after Bernabo Visconti's wife, Beatrice della Scala.

These days Milan's Teatro alla Scala—or "La Scala" for short—is still in operation, although today performances of Salieri operas are not as common as those of his 18th century rival, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

In the 19th century, La Scala was at the center of the golden age of Italian opera, which boasted the greatest works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi. It should be noted that while dozens of major operas had their premieres at La Scala, the reception they received from the hypercritical Milanese audiences was not always friendly. Even in the 20th century, La Scala is famous—or infamous—for audience members who are more than willing to express their LOUD disapproval of composers, singers, or sets that rub them the wrong way, as even a Maria Callas or Luciano Pavarotti could attest.

In August of 1943, 165 years after it opened, La Scala was damaged by Allied bombers as World War II drew to a close. The theater was repaired and reopened in 1946 with a series of gala concerts conducted by Arturo Toscanini.

A newly refurbished La Scala re-opened in December of 2004 with a new production of the Salieri opera "L'Europa riconosciuta," written for its original opening some 226 years earlier.