Bellinzona’s « Teatro Sociale » was built between 1846 and 1847 on the initiative of an enlightened group of the town’s eminent citizens. The theatre was built by engineer Rocco Con Mentlen and designed by the Milanese architect Giacomo Moraglia, one of the foremost neoclassical architects in Lombardy during the first half of the nineteenth century. The simple lines of both the exterior and interior of the Theatre are typical of the classical Italian theatre style of the times. Restoration work was carried out for the first time in 1894 and included the addition of a restaurant, which was built on to the side facing the gardens.

This was followed by a radical refurbishment of the whole building by Enea Tallone in 1919. However the original appearance of the theatre was not altered and today it is the only remaining nineteenth century theatre in the Canton and, indeed, in Switzerland.