arts
Updated 16th December 2020
Written by Valentina DiDonato, Antonia MortensenAlessandro Gentile, CNN
The world s oldest opera house, the Teatro di San Carlo in Italy, has survived wars, fires and the Neapolitan revolution. But this year, as the theater launches its winter season program, the doors to the public have remained closed. The theater has not seen a live audience since March, the longest time in its history, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Built in the southern city of Naples under the rule of King Charles of Bourbon in 1737, the opera house still bears the grandeur of the time. His goal was to make Naples a great European capital and the theater was spared no detail. Inside, the 184 box seats, divided in six tiers, each have a mirror pointed toward the royal box spectators of the era were expected to have the same reaction as the king.
At the world s oldest opera house, the show must go on kesq.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kesq.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Stone shield of the Trinitarian Order on the façade of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (1638-1641) in Rome. (Image: Jastrow/Wikipedia)
While celebrating his first Mass, St. John of Matha (1160-1213) whose Feast is celebrated on December 17th was granted the signal favor of having God’s Will for his priesthood revealed clearly to him. At the elevation of the Host, he fell into ecstasy at the sight of an angel appearing to him clad in a white robe with a red and blue cross upon his breast. The angel had his arms crossed with his hands resting protectively upon two manacled slaves on each side, a white man and a black man. Divinely illumined, John of Matha resolved to dedicate his priesthood to the mission of ransoming Christian slaves held captive by the Muslims.