During the bombing of Milan in 1943, on the night of 15th-16th August, bombs hit the theater building, destroying its roof. After the war, reconstruction began and as early as May 1946, the reopening of La Scala was inaugurated with a concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini and featuring solo soprano Renata Tebaldi.
Toscanini, who had left fascist Italy before the outbreak of war, returned to Milan in 1946 to support fundraising for the theater’s restoration. He was twice chief conductor of La Scala and collaborated with composers Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini.
