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85-629: The opera season runs from late November to July, with the ballet season from December to early June. The house once had a seating capacity of 3,285, but has now been reduced to 1,386 seats. Given its size, structure and antiquity, it was the model for theatres that were later built in Europe. The Real Teatro di San Carlo was commissioned by the Bourbon King Charles VII of Naples ( Carlo VII in Italian), who wanted to endow Naples with

170-401: A ballet performance and quickly spread to destroy a part of the building. On the orders of King Ferdinand IV , another Bourbon monarch and son of Charles VII, who used the services of Antonio Niccolini , Barbaia was able to rebuild the opera house within ten months. It was rebuilt as a traditional horseshoe-shaped auditorium with 1,444 seats and a proscenium, 33.5m wide and 30m high. The stage

255-480: A decisive victory . Belmonte was captured after he fled to Bari , while other Austrian troops were able to escape to the sea. To celebrate the victory, Naples was illuminated for three nights, and on 30 May, the Duke of Montemar, Charles's army commander, was named the Duke of Bitonto. Today there is an obelisk in the city of Bitonto commemorating the battle constructed and designed by Giovanni Antonio Medrano . After

340-585: A few days before the coronation of Charles, the Pope chose to accept the traditional offering of a Hackney horse from the Holy Roman Emperor rather than from Charles. The Hackney was a white mare and a sum of money which the King of Naples offered the Pope as feudal homage every 29 June, at the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The reason for this choice was that Charles had not yet been recognized as ruler of

425-656: A fête in honor of the Patron Saint of Florence, St. John the Baptist , on 24 June. At this fête Gian Gastone named Charles his heir, giving him the traditional Tuscan title of Hereditary Prince of Tuscany , and Charles paid homage to the Florentine senate, as was the tradition for heirs to the Tuscan throne. When Emperor Charles VI heard about the ceremony, he was enraged that Gian Gastone had not informed him, since he

510-409: A hundred pretty things; one would not credit the things that she says unless one heard them. She has the mind of an angel, and my son is only too happy to possess her . . . She has charged me to tell you that she loves you with all her heart and that she is quite content with her husband." And to the duchesse d'Orléans she writes: "I find her the most beautiful and most lovable child in the world. It

595-572: A military architect, chief engineer of the kingdom, and the "Major Regius Praefectus Mathematicis Regni Neapolitani" (Major Royal Governor of Mathematics of the Kingdom of Naples). Angelo Carasale , the former director of the San Bartolomeo, was primarily responsible for designing the elaborate furnishings of the Teatro di San Carlo. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium is the oldest in the world. It

680-553: A new and larger theatre to replace the old, dilapidated, and too-small Teatro San Bartolomeo of 1621, which had served the city well, especially after Scarlatti had moved there in 1682 and had begun to create an important opera centre which existed well into the 18th century. Thus, the San Carlo was inaugurated on 4 November 1737, the king's name day , with the performance of the opera Domenico Sarro 's Achille in Sciro , based on

765-592: A re-created version was given in 2004). It was later performed in Rome with significant revisions to the plot and its location, while the title became Un ballo in maschera . Among the conductors and composers appointed by the Teatro San Carlo was the famous and eccentric French harpist and composer Nicolas-Charles Bochsa , who was accompanied by his lover, the English prima donna Anna Bishop , with whom he

850-466: A review. Charles had his triumphant entrance to Naples on 10 May 1734, through the old city gate at Capuana surrounded by the city councilors along with a group of people who threw money to the locals. The procession went on through the streets and ended up at the Naples Cathedral , where Charles received a blessing from the local archbishop , Cardinal Pignatelli. Charles took up residence at

935-561: A year. Its fortunes were able to recover due to the continued support in the latter half of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century by Giacomo Puccini and other composers of verismo operas, such as Pietro Mascagni, Leoncavallo , Giordano , and Cilea , who staged their works here. In the late nineteenth century, the house created its own in-house orchestra under Giuseppe Martucci, which helped attract several respected conductors, including Arturo Toscanini , Pietro Mascagni, and composer Richard Strauss , whose influence expanded

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1020-471: A €67 million renovation over six months in 2008 and six months in 2009, including restoration of the décor and the creation of a new rehearsal hall. As noted in Gramophone magazine, the opera house reopened on 27 January 2010 with Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito , the 254th anniversary of the composer's birth: "The renovation work was completed last year under the direction of architect Elisabetta Fabbri and

1105-533: Is intended to return Teatro San Carlo to its condition following Antonio Niccolini's rebuilding after the fire of 1816. The project....involved 300 workers day and night." At the time, Neapolitan School of opera enjoyed great success all over Europe, not only in the field of opera buffa but also in that of opera seria . The Neapolitan school of opera composers included Feo , Porpora , Traetta , Piccinni , Vinci , Anfossi , Durante , Jommelli , Cimarosa , Paisiello , Zingarelli , and Gazzaniga . Naples became

1190-573: Is no better place for ballet and pantomime. Military movements of infantry and cavalry, battles, and storms at sea can be represented here without falling into the ludicrous. But for opera, itself, the house is too large. Although the singers, Signora Isabella Colbran , [Prima Donna of the Teatro San Carlo opera company and Rossini's future wife], and the Signori Nozzari, Benedetti, etc., have very strong voices, only their highest and most stentorian tones could be heard. Any kind of tender utterance

1275-462: Is the most pleasing thing imaginable to see her with her little husband: how they caress one another and how they love one another already. They have a thousand little secrets to tell one another, and they cannot part for an instant." Out of these proposed marriages, only Louis and Louise Élisabeth would wed. Elisabeth Farnese looked for other potential brides for her eldest son. For this, she looked to Austria, Spain's principal opponent for influence on

1360-616: The Bay of Naples . A week later they defeated the Austrians at sea. On 31 March, his army closed in on the Austrians in Naples. The Spanish flanked the defensive position of the Austrians under general Traun and forced them to withdraw to Capua . This allowed Charles and his troops to advance on to the city of Naples itself. The Austrian viceroy, Giulio Borromeo Visconti, and the commander of his army, Giovanni Carafa , left some garrisons holding

1445-705: The Duchy of Lorraine to the deposed Polish King Stanislaus I . The treaty included the transfer to Naples of all the inherited goods of the House of Farnese . He took with him the collection of artwork, the archives and the ducal library, the cannons of the fort, and even the marble stairway of the ducal palace. The peace between Charles and Austria was signed in Vienna in 1740. That year, Emperor Charles died leaving his Kingdoms of Bohemia and Hungary (along with many other lands) to his daughter Maria Theresa ; he had hoped

1530-562: The Duchy of Parma and Piacenza for Charles, since he was unlikely to be king of Spain. She also sought for him the Grand Duchy of Tuscany , because Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1671–1737) was also childless. He was a distant cousin of hers, related via her great-grandmother Margherita de' Medici , giving Charles a claim to the title through that lineage. The birth of Charles encouraged Prime Minister Alberoni to start laying out grand plans for Europe. In 1717 he ordered

1615-551: The Duke of Orléans , the French regent, to arrange three Franco-Spanish marriages that could potentially ease tense relations. The young Louis XV of France would marry the three-year-old Infanta Mariana Victoria and thus she would become Queen of France; Charles's half-brother Louis would marry the fourth surviving daughter of the regent, Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans . Charles himself would be engaged to Philippine Élisabeth d'Orléans , who

1700-779: The Infante Charles of Spain at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid . He was fourth in line to the Spanish throne, after three elder half-brothers: the Infante Luis, Prince of Asturias (who ruled briefly as Louis I of Spain before dying in 1724); the Infante Felipe (who died in 1719); and Ferdinand (the future Ferdinand VI). Because the Duke Francesco of Parma and his heir were childless, Elisabeth sought

1785-732: The Italian Peninsula . She proposed to Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor , that the Infante Charles marry the eight-year-old Archduchess Maria Theresa and that her second surviving son, the Infante Philip , marry the seven-year-old Archduchess Maria Anna . The alliance of Spain and Austria was signed on 30 April 1725 and included Spanish support for the Pragmatic Sanction , a document drafted by Emperor Charles in 1713 to assure support for Maria Theresa in

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1870-456: The Kingdom of Sicily , and the Kingdom of Great Britain gained the island of Menorca and the fortress at Gibraltar . In 1700, Charles's father, originally a French Bourbon prince, Philip of Anjou, became King of Spain as Philip V. For the remainder of his reign (1700–46), he continually attempted to regain the ceded territories in Europe. In 1714, after the death of the king's first wife,

1955-621: The Royal Palace of Naples , which had been built by his ancestor, Philip III of Spain . Two chroniclers of the era, the Florentine Bartolomeo Intrieri, and the Venetian Cesare Vignola made conflicting reports on the view of the situation by Neapolitans. Intrieri writes that the arrival was a historic event and that the crowd cried out that "His Royal Highness is beautiful, that his face is as

2040-799: The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14) and reduced the political and military power of Spain , which the House of Bourbon had ruled since 1700. Under the terms of the treaty, the Spanish Empire retained its American territories and the Philippines, but ceded the Spanish Netherlands , the kingdoms of Naples and Sardinia , the Duchy of Milan , and the State of Presidi to Habsburg Austria . The House of Savoy gained

2125-401: The apostolic nuncio , the Pope let Charles know he did not consider valid the nomination received by him from Charles's father, Philip V, King of Spain. In response, a committee headed by the Tuscan lawyer Bernardo Tanucci in Naples concluded that papal investiture was not necessary because the crowning of a king could not be considered a sacrament. The situation worsened when, in 1735, just

2210-529: The 1736 libretto by Metastasio which had been set to music that year by Antonio Caldara. As was customary, the role of Achilles was played by a woman, Vittoria Tesi , called "Moretta"; the opera also featured soprano Anna Peruzzi , called "the Parrucchierina" and tenor Angelo Amorevoli . Sarro also conducted the orchestra in two ballets as intermezzi, created by Gaetano Grossatesta , with scenes designed by Pietro Righini . The first seasons highlighted

2295-738: The American baritone Lawrence Tibbett sang the title role in Rigoletto before an audience that included senior military figures of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and troops of the Allied Forces. By the start of the twenty-first century, the opera house was showing its age with outmoded stage machinery, inadequate visitor facilities, and lack of air conditioning. In response, the Campania regional government funded

2380-530: The Bourbon conquest of the island was not complete, he was crowned King of the Two Sicilies ("utriusque Siciliae rex") on 3 July in the ancient Palermo Cathedral , after having traveled overland to Palmi , and by sea from Palmi to Palermo . The coronation bypassed the authority of the Pope thanks to the apostolic legation of Sicily, a medieval privilege which ensured the island a special legal autonomy from

2465-533: The Church. Thus, the papal legate did not attend the ceremony as Charles would have wanted. In March 1735 a new discord developed between Rome and Naples. In Rome, it was discovered that the Bourbons had confined Roman citizens in the basement of Palazzo Farnese , which was the personal property of King Charles; people were brought there to impress them into the newborn Neapolitan army. Thousands of inhabitants in

2550-637: The Kingdom of Naples by a peace treaty, and so the Emperor was considered still de jure King of Naples. Receiving the Hackney from the Holy Roman Empire was common while receiving it from a Bourbon was unusual. The Pope, therefore, considered the first option a less dramatic gesture, and in doing so provoked the wrath of the religious Spanish infante. Meanwhile, Charles had landed in Sicily. Although

2635-644: The Kingdom of Naples, claiming he would free it of "excessive violence by the Austrian Viceroy of Naples, oppression, and tyranny". Charles, now "Charles I of Parma", was to be in charge. Charles inspected the Spanish troops at Perugia , and marched toward Naples on 5 March. The army passed through the Papal States then ruled by Clement XII . The Austrians, already fighting the French and Savoyard armies to retain Milan , had only limited resources for

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2720-470: The Pope, after long negotiations, through the mediation of its ambassador in Rome, Cardinal Acquaviva , the archbishop Giuseppe Spinelli and the chaplain Celestino Galiani. The agreement was achieved on 12 May 1738. After the death of Pope Clement in 1740, he was replaced by Pope Benedict XIV , who the following year allowed the creation of a concordat with the Kingdom of Naples. This allowed

2805-653: The Princess Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy , the Piacenza Cardinal Giulio Alberoni successfully arranged the swift marriage between Philip and the ambitious Elisabeth Farnese , niece and stepdaughter of Francesco Farnese, Duke of Parma . Elisabeth and Philip married on 24 December 1714; she quickly proved a domineering consort and influenced King Philip to make Cardinal Giulio Alberoni the prime minister of Spain in 1715. On 20 January 1716, Elisabeth gave birth to

2890-487: The Royal Artillery organized repairs to the damaged foyer and, three weeks later, reopened the building with a musical revue. With the building in a fit state for performances, more musicians and singers made themselves available, and the first opera performance was held on 26 December 1943, a matinee presentation of Puccini's La bohème . Francis stayed on for another two years, producing 30 operas. On 9 July 1946,

2975-412: The San Carlo. Giuseppe Verdi was also associated with the theatre. In 1841, his Oberto Conte di San Bonifacio was performed there, and in 1845 he wrote his first opera for the theatre, Alzira ; a second, Luisa Miller , followed in 1849. His third should have been Gustavo III , but the censor made such significant changes that it was never performed in that version nor under that title (until

3060-580: The Spanish invasion of Sardinia . In 1718, Alberoni also ordered the invasion of Sicily , which was also ruled by the House of Savoy . In the same year Charles's first sister, Infanta Mariana Victoria was born on 31 March. In reaction to the Quadruple Alliance of 1718 , the Duke of Savoy then joined the Alliance and went to war with Spain. This war led to the dismissal of Alberoni by Philip in 1719. The Treaty of The Hague of 1720 included

3145-599: The Spanish throne. He strengthened the Spanish Army and the Spanish Navy . Although he did not achieve complete control over Spain's finances, and was sometimes obliged to borrow to meet expenses, most of his reforms proved successful in providing increased revenue to the crown and expanding state power, leaving a lasting legacy. In the Spanish Empire his regime enacted a series of sweeping reforms with

3230-591: The aim of bringing the overseas territories under firmer control by the central government, reversing the trend toward local autonomy, and gaining more control over the Church. Reforms including the establishment of two new viceroyalties , realignment of administration into intendancies, creating a standing military, establishing new monopolies, revitalizing silver mining , excluding American-born Spaniards ( criollos ) from high civil and ecclesiastical offices, and eliminating many privileges ( fueros ) of clergy. Historian Stanley Payne writes that Charles "was probably

3315-489: The capital of European music, and even foreign composers considered the performance of their compositions at the San Carlo theatre to be the goal of their careers. These composers included Hasse (who later settled in Naples) Haydn , Johann Christian Bach and Gluck . Similarly, the most prominent singers performed and consolidated their fame at the San Carlo. These included Lucrezia Anguiari, called "La Cocchetta",

3400-470: The city's fortresses and withdrew to Apulia . There they awaited reinforcements sufficient to defeat the Spanish. The Spanish entered Naples and laid siege to the Austrian-held fortresses. During that interval, Charles received the compliments of the local nobility, and the city keys and the privilege book from a delegation of the city's elected officials. Chronicles of the time reported that Naples

3485-416: The conflict, but his father wanted him to join in and gather troops to aid the French. Charles arranged for 10,000 Spanish soldiers that were to be sent to Italy under the command of the Duke of Castropignano , but they were obliged to retreat when a Royal Navy squadron under Commodore William Martin threatened to bombard Naples if they did not stay out of the conflict. The decision to remain neutral

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3570-508: The creation of the orchestra pit, suggested by Verdi in 1872, the installation of electricity in 1890, the subsequent abolition of the central chandelier, and the construction of the new foyer and a new wing for dressing rooms, the theatre underwent no substantial changes until the repair of the bombing damage in 1943. During World War II, the opera house was damaged by bombs. Following the liberation of Naples in October 1943, Peter Francis of

3655-755: The death of his childless grand-uncle Antonio Farnese . In 1734, at the age of 18, he led Spanish troops in a bold and almost entirely bloodless march down Italy to seize the Kingdom of Naples and Kingdom of Sicily and enforce the Spanish claim to their thrones. In 1738, he married the Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony , daughter of Augustus III of Poland , who was an educated, cultured woman. The couple had 13 children, eight of whom reached adulthood. They resided in Naples for 19 years. Charles gained valuable experience in his 25-year rule in Italy, so that he

3740-490: The defense of Naples and were divided on how best to oppose the Spanish. The Emperor wanted to keep Naples, but most of the Neapolitan nobility was against him, and some conspired against his viceroy. They hoped that Philip would give the kingdom to Charles, who would be more likely to live and rule there, rather than having a viceroy and serve a foreign power. On 9 March the Spanish took Procida and Ischia , two islands in

3825-524: The early years of Charles's reign, the Neapolitan court was engaged in a dispute with the Holy See over jurisdiction, clerical appointments, and revenues. The Kingdom of Naples was an ancient fief of the Papal States. For this reason, Pope Clement XII considered himself the only one entitled to invest the king of Naples, and so he did not recognize Charles of Bourbon as a legitimate sovereign. Through

3910-667: The empire. He facilitated trade and commerce, modernized agriculture and land tenure , and promoted science and university research. He implemented regalist policies to increase the power of the state regarding the church. During his reign, he expelled the Jesuits from the Spanish Empire and fostered the Enlightenment in Spain . Charles launched enquiries into the Iberian Peninsula 's Muslim past, even after succeeding to

3995-518: The fall of Reggio Calabria on 20 June, Charles also conquered the towns of L'Aquila (27 June) and Pescara (28 July). The last two Austrian fortresses were Gaeta and Capua . The Siege of Gaeta , which Charles observed, ended on 6 August. Three weeks later, the Duke of Montemar left the mainland for Sicily where they arrived in Palermo on 2 September 1734, beginning a conquest of the island's Austrian-held fortresses that ended in early 1735. Capua,

4080-428: The inauguration and wrote: "There is nothing in all Europe, I won't say comparable to this theatre, but which gives the slightest idea of what it is like..., it dazzles the eyes, it enraptures the soul...". In 1844, the opera house was re-decorated under Niccolini, his son Fausto, and Francesco Maria dei Giudice. The main result was the change in appearance of the interior to the now-traditional red and gold. Apart from

4165-534: The many signatories to the Pragmatic Sanction would not interfere with this succession. However, this was not the case, and the War of the Austrian Succession broke out. France was allied with Spain and Prussia , all of whom were against Maria Theresa. Maria Theresa was supported by Great Britain , ruled by George II , and the Kingdom of Sardinia , which was then ruled by Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia . Charles had wanted to stay neutral during

4250-514: The most successful European ruler of his generation. He had provided firm, consistent, intelligent leadership. He had chosen capable ministers   ... [his] personal life had won the respect of the people." John Lynch 's assessment is that in Bourbon Spain "Spaniards had to wait half a century before their government was rescued by Charles III." In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht concluded

4335-468: The occupation. Ostia was sacked, while Palestrina avoided the same fate by the payment of a ransom of 16,000 crowns. The commission of cardinals to whom the case was assigned decided to send a delegation of prisoners of Trastevere and Velletri to Naples as reparations. The papal subjects were punished with just a few days in jail and then, after seeking royal pardon, were granted it. The Neapolitan king subsequently managed to iron out his differences with

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4420-442: The one of San Gennaro on the statue that the representative". Vignola wrote in contrast that "there were only some acclamations", and that the crowd applauded with "a lot of languors" and only "to incite those that threw the money to throw it in more abundance". Charles's father, King Philip V of Spain, wrote the following letter to Charles. The letter began with the words "To the King of Naples, My Son, and My Brother". Charles

4505-490: The only remaining Austrian stronghold in Naples, was held by von Traun until 24 November 1734. In the kingdom, independence from the Austrians was popular. In 1735, pursuant to the treaty ending the war, Charles formally ceded Parma to Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in exchange for his recognition as King of Naples and Sicily. Following the loss of Parma, Charles removed the Farnese Collection to Naples. During

4590-663: The opera house's repertoire. One performer who did not appear in Naples from 1901 onward was Naples-born Enrico Caruso , who, after being booed by a section of the audience during a performance of L'elisir d'amore , vowed never to return. Principal conductors Principal guest conductor Honorary conductor Citations Bibliography 40°50′15″N 14°14′58″E  /  40.83750°N 14.24944°E  / 40.83750; 14.24944 Charles III of Spain Charles III ( Spanish : Carlos Sebastián de Borbón y Farnesio ; 20 January 1716 – 14 December 1788)

4675-474: The opportunity to regain the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, which Spain had lost in the Treaty of Utrecht . On 20 January 1734, Charles, now 18, reached his majority, and was "free to govern and to manage in a manner independent its states". He was also named commander of all Spanish troops in Italy, a position he shared with the Duke of Montemar . On 27 February, King Philip declared his intention to capture

4760-601: The period included Manuel Garcia and his daughter Maria Malibran , Clorinda Corradi , Giuditta Pasta , Isabella Colbran , Giovanni Battista Rubini , Domenico Donzelli and the two great French rivals Adolphe Nourrit and Gilbert Duprez —the inventor of the C from the chest. After composing Zelmira , Rossini left Naples with Colbran, who had previously been the lover of Domenico Barbaia. The couple were married shortly thereafter. To replace Rossini, Barbaja first signed up Giovanni Pacini and then another rising star of Italian opera, Gaetano Donizetti . As artistic director of

4845-529: The recognition of Charles as heir to the Italian Duchies of Parma and Piacenza. Charles's half-brother, Infante Philip Peter, died on 29 December 1719, putting Charles third in line to the throne after Luis and Ferdinand. He would retain his position behind these two until they died and he succeeded to the Spanish throne. His second full brother, Infante Philip of Spain , was born on 15 March 1720. Beginning in 1721, King Philip had been negotiating with

4930-851: The renowned castrati Giovanni Manzuoli , Caffarelli (Gaetano Majorano), Farinelli (Carlo Broschi), Gizziello (Gioacchino Conti) and Gian Battista Velluti , the last castrato. Caffarelli, Farinelli, and Gizziello were products of the local conservatories of Naples . From 1815 to 1822, Gioachino Rossini was house composer and artistic director of the royal opera houses, including the San Carlo. During this period he wrote ten operas which were Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra (1815), La gazzetta , Otello, ossia il Moro di Venezia (1816), Armida (1817), Mosè in Egitto , Ricciardo e Zoraide (1818), Ermione , Bianca e Falliero , Eduardo e Cristina , La donna del lago (1819), Maometto II (1820), and Zelmira (1822). Regular singers of

5015-480: The right to occupy Parma, Piacenza, and Tuscany by force if necessary. After the Treaty of Seville, Philip V disregarded its provisions and formed an alliance with France and the Kingdom of Great Britain . Antonio Farnese , the Duke of Parma, died on 26 February 1731 without naming an heir. This was because the widow of Antonio, Enrichetta d'Este was thought to have been pregnant at the time of his death. The Duchess

5100-403: The royal opera houses, Donizetti remained in Naples from 1822 until 1838, composing sixteen operas for the theatre, among which Maria Stuarda (1834), Roberto Devereux (1837), Poliuto (1838) and the famous Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), written for soprano Tacchinardi-Persiani and tenor Duprez. Vincenzo Bellini , Sicilian by birth, also staged his first work, Bianca e Fernando , at

5185-423: The royal preference for dance numbers, and featured among the performers famous castrati. In the late 18th century, Christoph Willibald Gluck was called to Naples by the impresario Tufarelli to direct his 1752 Clemenza di Tito at the theatre, and Johann Christian Bach in 1761-62 brought two operas, Catone in Utica and Alessandro nell'Indie . The new opera house was designed by Giovanni Antonio Medrano ,

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5270-408: The scrutiny by the sovereign" who had his private access from the Royal Palace. In 1809, Domenico Barbaia was appointed manager of the royal opera houses in Naples and remained in charge until 1841. He soon established a reputation for innovative and dazzling productions, attracting the public and leading singers to the opera house. On 13 February 1816, a fire broke out during a dress rehearsal for

5355-441: The small but powerful pro-Austrian party in Naples, a new council was formed under the direction of Tanucci that resulted in the arrest of more than 800 people. In April Maria Theresa addressed the Neapolitans with a proclamation in which she promised pardons and other benefits for those who rose against the "usurpers", meaning the Bourbons. Antonio Niccolini (architect) Antonio Niccolini (21 April 1772 – 8 May 1850)

5440-413: The suburb of Trastevere stormed the palace to liberate them. The riot then degenerated into pillage. Next, the crowd directed itself toward the embassy of Spain in Piazza di Spagna . During the clashes that followed, several Bourbon soldiers were killed, including an officer. The disturbances spread to the town of Velletri , where the population attacked Spanish troops on the road to Naples. The episode

5525-413: The succession to the throne of the Habsburgs . The emperor also relinquished all claims to the Spanish throne and promised to support Spain in its attempts to regain Gibraltar . The ensuing Anglo-Spanish War stopped the ambitions of Elisabeth Farnese, and the marriage plans were abandoned with the signing of the Treaty of Seville on 9 November 1729. Provisions of the treaty did allow the Infante Charles

5610-412: The taxation of certain property of the clergy, the reduction of the number of the ecclesiastical, and the limitation of their immunity and autonomy of justice via the creation of a mixed tribunal. Charles was the seventh king of that name to rule Naples, but he never styled himself Charles VII. He was known simply as Charles of Bourbon (Italian: Carlo di Borbone ). This was intended to emphasize that he

5695-458: Was King of Spain in the years 1759 to 1788. He was also Duke of Parma and Piacenza , as Charles I (1731–1735); King of Naples , as Charles VII ; and King of Sicily , as Charles III (1735–1759). He was the fourth son of Philip V of Spain and the eldest son of Philip's second wife, Elisabeth Farnese . He was a proponent of enlightened absolutism and regalism . In 1731, the 15-year-old Charles became Duke of Parma and Piacenza following

5780-415: Was 34.5m deep. Niccolini embellished in the inner of the bas-relief depicting "Time and the Hour". The central frescoed ceiling painting of Apollo presenting to Minerva the greatest poets of the world was painted by Antonio, Giuseppe e Giovanni Cammarano . On 12 January 1817, the rebuilt theatre was inaugurated with Johann Simon Mayr 's Il sogno di Partenope . Stendhal attended the second night of

5865-416: Was again revived and was poorly received by the French and his father in Spain. Charles's parents encouraged him to take arms as his brother Infante Felipe had done. After publishing a proclamation on 25 March 1744 reassuring its subjects, Charles took the command of an army against the Austrian armies of the prince of Lobkowitz , who were at that point marching for the Neapolitan border. In order to oppose

5950-517: Was an Italian architect, scenic designer, and engraver. Niccolini was born in San Miniato al Tedesco , Tuscany . He is best known for rebuilding the interior of the Teatro di San Carlo after it burned down in 1816. He was also an active scenographer for the theater. Raffaele del Ponte was one of his pupils. He published a number of treatises on architecture from Pompeii and Herculaneum , including: He died in Naples, aged 78. This article about an Italian architect or firm of architects

6035-480: Was built for 75,000 ducats. The hall was 28.6 meters long and 22.5 meters wide, with 184 boxes, including those of proscenium, arranged in six orders, plus a royal box capable of accommodating ten people, for a total of 1,379 seats. Including a standing room, the theatre could hold over 3,000 people. The fastidious composer and violinist Louis Spohr reviewed the size and acoustic properties of this opera house very thoroughly on 15 February 1817 and concluded that: there

6120-730: Was captured "with humanity" and that the combat was only due to a general climate of courtesy between the two armies, often under the eyes of the Neapolitans that approached with curiosity The Spanish took the Carmine Castle on 10 April; Castel Sant'Elmo fell on 27 April; the Castel dell'Ovo on 4 May, and finally the Castel Nuovo on 6 May. This all occurred even though Charles had no military experience, seldom wore uniforms, and could only with difficulty be persuaded to witness

6205-501: Was concluded on 3 October 1735. However, the peace was not finalized until three years later with the Treaty of Vienna (1738) , ending the War of the Polish Succession . Naples and Sicily were ceded by Austria to Charles, who gave up Parma and Tuscany in return. (Charles had inherited Tuscany in 1737 on the death of Gian Gastone.) Tuscany went to Emperor Charles VI's son-in-law Francis Stephen , as compensation for ceding

6290-509: Was examined by many doctors without any confirmation of her pregnancy. As a result, the Second Treaty of Vienna on 22 July 1731 officially recognized the young Infante Charles as Duke of Parma and Piacenza. The duchy was occupied by Count Carlo Stampa, who served as the lieutenant of Parma for the young Charles. Charles was from then on known as HRH Don Charles of Spain (or Borbón), Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Infante of Spain . Since he

6375-605: Was later performed at the Teatro Farnese in the city. In 1733, the death of Augustus II , King of Poland , sparked a succession crisis in Poland. France supported one pretender, and Austria and Russia another. France and Savoy formed an alliance to acquire territory from Austria. Spain, which had allied with France in late 1733 (the Bourbon Compact ), also entered the conflict. Charles's mother, as regent, saw

6460-468: Was lost. Much admired for its architecture, its gold decorations, and the sumptuous blue upholstery (blue and gold being the official colours of the Bourbons), the San Carlo was now the biggest opera house in the world. Concerning the power of the existing Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Beauvert notes that the design of the house, with its 184 boxes lacking any curtains was so that "no one could avoid

6545-587: Was named his co-tutor and despite Charles being the second in line to inherit Tuscany, the Grand Duke still gave him a warm welcome. En route to Florence from Pisa , Charles was taken ill with smallpox . Charles made a grand entrance to the Medici capital of Florence on 9 March 1732 with a retinue of 250 people. He stayed with his host at the ducal residence, the Palazzo Pitti . Gian Gastone staged

6630-518: Was overlord of Tuscany and the nomination should have been his prerogative. Despite the celebrations, Elisabeth Farnese urged her son to go on to Parma, which he did in October 1732, where he was warmly greeted. On the front of the ducal palace in Parma was written Parma Resurget (Parma shall rise again). At the same time the play La Venuta di Ascanio in Italia was created by Carlo Innocenzo Frugoni . It

6715-417: Was perceived as a serious affront to the Bourbon court. Consequently, the Spanish and Neapolitan ambassadors left Rome, the seat of the papacy, while apostolic nuncios were dismissed from Madrid and Naples. The regiments of Bourbon troops invaded the Papal States. The threat was such that some of the gates of Rome were barred and the civil guard was doubled. Velletri was occupied and forced to pay 8000 crowns for

6800-635: Was still a minor, his maternal grandmother, Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg , was named regent. After a solemn ceremony in Seville, Charles was given the épée d'or ("sword of gold") by his father; the sword had been given to Philip V of Spain by his grandfather Louis XIV before his departure to Spain in 1700. Charles left Spain on 20 October 1731 and traveled overland to Antibes ; he then sailed to Tuscany , arriving at Livorno on 27 December 1731. His cousin Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany ,

6885-490: Was the fifth surviving daughter of the Duke of Orléans. In 1726 Charles met Philippine Élisabeth for the first time; Elisabeth Farnese later wrote to the regent and his wife regarding their meeting: "I believe, that you will not be displeased to learn of her first interview with her little husband. They embraced very affectionately and kissed one another, and it appears to me that he does not displease her. Thus, since this evening they do not like to leave one another. She says

6970-572: Was the first King of Naples to live there, and to mark the discontinuity between him and previous rulers named Charles, specifically his predecessor, the Habsburg Charles VI . In Sicily, he was known as Charles III of Sicily and of Jerusalem , using the ordinal III rather than V . The Sicilian people had not recognized Charles I of Naples ( Charles d'Anjou ) as their sovereign (they rebelled against him), nor Emperor Charles, whom they also disliked. A preliminary peace with Austria

7055-425: Was touring the world. He conducted several operas (1844–1845) in the San Carlo with Anna Bishop as prima donna. She sang there 327 times in 24 operas. The unification of Italy in 1861 led to Naples losing its status as the musical center of Italy and the home of the country's leading opera house, La Scala, as power and wealth moved northwards. By 1874, the fall in performance income led to the opera house's closing for

7140-512: Was unique in the fact that he was the first ruler of Naples to actually live there, after two centuries of viceroys. However, Austrian resistance had not yet been completely eliminated. The emperor had sent reinforcements to Naples directed by the Prince of Belmonte , which arrived at Bitonto . Spanish troops led by the Count of Montemar attacked the Austrians on 25 May 1734 at Bitonto, and achieved

7225-401: Was well prepared as the monarch of the Spanish Empire . His policies in Italy prefigured ones he would put in place in his 30-year rule of Spain. Charles succeeded to the Spanish throne in 1759 upon the death of his childless half-brother Ferdinand VI . As king of Spain, Charles III made far-reaching reforms to increase the flow of funds to the crown and defend against foreign incursions on

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