Rome’s oldest theatre, the Teatro Valle, reopened Friday after a 12-year restoration costing 11 million euros, Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said, saying that “today is a day of celebration.

“The Teatro Valle,” he recalled, “opened on January 7, 1727.

It is the oldest functioning theatre in Rome and one of the oldest in the world—predating the Teatro Argentina by just a few years.

“It is not only beautiful; it has been a cornerstone in the history of theatre—not just in Rome, but across Europe and the entire world.

It is a venue dedicated to experimentation and innovation—even to the occasional flop that later turns into a triumph, such as Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, which had its world premiere there in 1921 and which Francesco Piccolo will bring back to life for us this evening.”