© Peter Suranyi (8/8/2009)
6 April 1847 – the Royal Italian Opera house was unveiled in Covent Garden with a performance of Rossini’s Semiramide. The Theatre Royal had existed on the location since 1728, but had been destroyed by fire in 1808 – a serious concern for entertainment spaces in those pre-electricity days. The new building transferred ballet and opera from the Haymarket, beginning the Royal Opera House’s affiliation with Covent Garden that continues to this day.
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