in the 19th century, architectural styles derived from other cultures and periods resulted in a historical or eclectic style of architecture, usually characterized by elaboration of sculpted detail and strong contrasts of light and shadow or neoclassicism. milan has two examples of neoclassical architecture
: the opera house la scala and the victor emmanuel gallery, designed by guiseppe mengoni.
la scala, or the teatro alla scala, is one of the world's most prestigious opera houses since the 18th century. a 1943 world war ii air raid was responsible for the virtual destruction of the theater, and it was rebuilt after the war in 1946. every great italian composer since the 18th century has composed for la scala. verdi's otello and falstaff, and puccini's madama butterfly are operas composed for la scala.
