Milan’s famous Teatro alla Scala opened in 1778 with an opera by Antonio Salieri (Mozart’s wannabe rival). Today, opera buffs can get a glimpse of the theater and tour the adjacent museum’s extensive collection, featuring Verdi’s top hat, Rossini’s eyeglasses, Toscanini’s baton, Fettuccini’s pesto, original scores, diorama stage sets, busts, portraits, and death masks of great composers and musicians. For true devotees, La Scala is the Mecca of the religion of opera.
