Teatro alla Scala was founded, under the auspices of the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, to replace the Royal Ducal Theatre, which was destroyed by fire on 26 February 1776. Designed by the great neoclassical architect Giuseppe Piermarini, La Scala opened on 3 August 1778 with Antonio Salieri's opera L'Europa Riconosciuta, to a libretto by Mattia Verazi. With the advent of Rossini in 1812, Teatro alla Scala was to become the appointed place of Italian opera seria.

Over the past 200 years, La Scala has made great contributions to the art world. There are world-class performances all year round, including opera, ballet, concerts and so on. It is also the premiere venue for many famous operas.

Many important musicians in Italian history are associated with Teatro alla Scala. The world's most renowned conductors Arturo Toscanini, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim and Riccardo Chailly have all served as artistic directors of La Scala. The world's top artists including Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, Maria Callas, Margot Fonteyn and Serge Lifar have all performed in La Scala.