The origins of Brescia’s Teatro Grande date back to a 17th-century institution, the Accademia degli Erranti, which beginning in 1640 focused its energies on management of the theater. Having become the city’s main theater, in 1912 Teatro Grande was recognized as a national monument. In the 1970s the Italian government identified it as one of the “traditional theaters” in Italy, with first- time recognition for its cultural, social and educational functions. Since the late 1800s Teatro Grande, in conjunction with Circuito Lirico Lombardo, has focused on opera, with performances of some of the most important operas ever written, and featuring some of the greatest opera stars from Italy and the world. Besides opera, the theater also schedules a variety of entertainment events.