7 Best Performing Arts Venues in Rome, Italy

Architect Renzo Piano conceived and constructed the Auditorium Parco della Musica, a futuristic complex made up of three enormous, pod-shaped concert halls, which have hosted some of the world's greatest music acts. The Sala Santa Cecilia is a massive hall for grand orchestra and choral concerts; the Sala Sinopoli is more intimately scaled for smaller troupes; and the Sala Petrassi was designed for alternative events. All three are arrayed around the Cavea (amphitheater), a vast outdoor Greco-Roman-style theater. The Auditorium also hosts seasonal festivals, including the Rome Film Fest.

Incredibly well-preserved frescoes depicting scenes of the passion of the Christ line the walls at this small but intimate concert venue. Classical concerts---ranging from piano concertos to choir performances---are scheduled weekly.  This venue is not accessible without a concert ticket or an appointment booked in advance.

World-class headliners as well as its beautiful location in Villa Ada, a former monarch's residence, make Roma Incontra il Mondo one of Europe's most impressive world-music festivals. The summer concert series is held in the middle of the park and begins at 10 pm, followed by dancing until 2 am.

For six weeks in early fall, the RomaEuropa festival ignites stages and theaters as a collective, multi-venue avant-garde performing and visual arts program, showcasing international artists, installations, film, and performance.

The 18th-century Teatro Argentina evokes glamour and sophistication with its velvet upholstery, large crystal chandeliers, and beautifully dressed theatergoers, who come to see international productions of stage and dance performances. This is one of the oldest theaters in Italy, but its foundation is ancient: it sits on the site of the Theater of Pompey, which was completed in AD 55.

The company at this theater, a far younger sibling of La Scala in Milan and La Fenice in Venice, commands an audience during its mid-November–May season. In the hot summer months, it moves to the Terme di Caracalla for an outdoor opera series. As you might expect, the oft-preferred performance is Aida, for its spectacle, which once included real elephants. The company has lately taken a new direction, using projections atop the ancient ruins to create cutting-edge sets.

A small concert hall with an internationally recognized series of Baroque classics, the Oratorio del Gonfalone's mid-16th century frescoed walls are painted in high Mannerist style—a beautiful accompaniment to the music.