The Royal Theatre of San Carlo is one of the places that help you read Naples from the moment you enter. It was inaugurated in 1737 by the will of Charles of Bourbon and is the city’s opera house, as well as one of the oldest still in operation in the world. From the outside, it presents itself with sobriety on Piazza Trieste e Trento; inside, however, the horseshoe-shaped auditorium, the five tiers of boxes, the royal box, the gallery, and the stalls create a space designed for viewing and listening, with acoustics admired for centuries. Today it welcomes just under 1,400 spectators, fewer than in the past, and precisely for this reason it conveys a more intimate feeling. The ceiling, the velvets, and the decorations guide the eye toward the stage, one of the largest in the Italian opera scene, where operas, ballets, and concerts are performed. The history of the San Carlo is also marked by fires, restorations, and reconstructions, but the theatre has retained its role over time. It is an important stop for those who love music, for those visiting Naples out of curiosity, and for those who want to get to know up close a building that combines eighteenth-century architecture with everyday activity. Here the past is not still: it keeps speaking every time the auditorium fills and the curtain rises.