You can’t die without ever having walked through the entrance to La Scala and experienced the sensation of being at the centre of the Opera world. The historical period is not ideal to try the experience because like all places of entertainment also the Milanese theatre is closed to the public, that’s why the agreement with Google Arts & Culture, which allows you to visit and discover the beauty and secrets of one of the most sought-after stages, represents a historical turning point. 

The virtual journey starts with 360-degree images of the main facade of the building, the most faithful to Giuseppe Piermarini's original project (inaugurated in 1778 and erected on the site of the former church of Santa Maria alla Scala, to which the theatre owes its name) after the renovation between 2002 and 2004, signed by Mario Botta, with the addition of the scenic tower and the elliptical tower.

Designed to digitally store the enormous architectural, historical and scenic wealth of the place, the work of Big G’s photographers allows you to walk around the theater, discover the four tiers of boxes and two galleries, go on stage and imagine the glory (or whistles) reserved for the masters, slip into the pit of the prompter, attend a ballet from the Royal Stage.   

The advantage of surfing online, however, is to go where physical presence does not allow, not only looking behind the scenes, but all the way to the industrial workshop, such as the old Ansaldo factory, where 150 craftsmen create the stage sets and clothes – just under a thousand of those made each year – including creations designed by Gianni Versace and Yves Saint Laurent. It’s not a simple, though it expands, review of unique garments because, thanks to Art Camera shots – with a resolution between 6-12 billion pixels and images obtained in relation to the light conditions and vibrations of the room – with two taps you can activate the zoom to capture the details and the care with which the stage clothes are made (and go from golden cabochons to black velvet to ruby mirror stones).  

The route is extensive and, in addition to exhibitions and quizzes to learn about the history of the theatre, offers more than 259,000 digital images taken from the theatre’s archives, including a very rare autograph by Giuseppe Verdi and the sets and costumes that Giorgio De Chirico designed for some ballets. “The transition to digital is a precious move because it offers a beautiful and easy-to-use product that allows everyone to know the history of the theatre by projecting La Scala into the future”, explains Filippo Del Corno, Councillor for Culture of the City of Milan, according to whom “opening the doors of the theatre to the world to admire the architectural quality and discover the production processes is a sign of a project of enormous value”.