Main article: Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù
In Venetian rule, the Corfiotes developed a fervent appreciation of Italian opera, which was the real source of the extraordinary (given conditions in the mainland of Greece) musical development of the island during this era. The opera house of Corfu during 18th and 19th century was that of the Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo, named after the neighbouring catholic cathedral, but the theatre was later converted into the Town Hall.[48] It was both the first theatre and first opera house of Greece in modern times and the place where the first Greek opera, Spyridon Xyndas’ “The Parliamentary Candidate” based on an exclusively Greek libretto was performed. A long series of local composers, such as Nikolaos Mantzaros, Spyridon Xyndas, Antonio Liberali, Domenico Padovani, the Zakynthian Pavlos Carrer, the Lambelet family, Spyridon Samaras, and others, all developed careers intertwined with the theatre.[48] San Giacomo’s place was taken by the Municipal Theatre in 1902, which maintained the operatic tradition vividly until its destruction during World War II as a result of a 1943 German air raid. The first theater in Greece was found in Corfu and was named “Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo” as it was situated at the square next to the Catholic Cathedral San Giacomo. Today the building once accommodating the theater serves as the Town Hall of Corfu. The construction of the building started in 1663 and initially was intended to be used as a place where for nobles to arrange their meetings and entertaining events. In 1720 it was transformed into a theater which was functioning in accordance with European specifications. A lot of legendary operas and plays were staged here. The building was designed by an unknown architect and constructed from carved Siniotic stone with lavish decorations and baroque sculpturesThe first opera to be performed in the San Giacomo was in 1733 (“Gerone, tiranno di Siracusa”), and for almost two hundred years, between 1771 and 1943, nearly every major opera from the Italian tradition, as well as many others from Greek and French composers, were performed at the stage of the San Giacomo; this impressive tradition, invoking an exceptional musical heritage, continues to be reflected in Corfiote operatic mythology, a fixture in famous opera singers’ itineraries.