At the San Carlo, your eyes go up before the music even begins. Five tiers of boxes, the gallery, the gold and red of the auditorium: for a moment you look for your seat while taking in everything else. The evening has already begun, even though the curtain is still down.
Gioachino Rossini's La Cenerentola is on stage at the Teatro di San Carlo for five performances, on 20, 21, 23, 25 and 27 October 2026. Speranza Scappucci conducts, with staging by Damiano Michieletto. From Follaky, in Chiaia, the theatre is about an 8-minute walk away: on the night of the performance you can come back to your suite to get ready, and walk back afterwards.
La Cenerentola at San Carlo: dates, times and cast
Aigul Akhmetshina and Aleksandra Meteleva alternate in the role of Angelina. The five performances, with time and lead:
- Tuesday 20 October, at 20:00: Aigul Akhmetshina
- Wednesday 21 October, at 20:00: Aleksandra Meteleva
- Friday 23 October, at 20:00: Aigul Akhmetshina
- Sunday 25 October, at 17:00: Aleksandra Meteleva
- Tuesday 27 October, at 19:00: Aigul Akhmetshina
The opera is sung in Italian, with surtitles in Italian and English, and runs for about three hours, including the interval. This staged production comes from Semperoper Dresden and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro di San Carlo. The full cast list and ticket links are on the official production page.
The San Carlo was built in 1737 on the orders of Charles III of Bourbon, and Rossini has a place in its history too: on 4 October 1815, the 23-year-old composer wrote his first opera for the San Carlo, Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra, starring Isabella Colbran.
Friday 23 October: three nights around the San Carlo
For the Friday 23rd performance, you can arrive on Thursday 22 and leave on Sunday 25: three nights, with Friday for the area around the theatre and Saturday for another part of Naples. Check-in is in person with Monica or Fabio, between 15:00 and 20:00; it's best to state your arrival time when you book.
Friday can begin in Chiaia, with a stroll to Piazza dei Martiri, about a 3-minute walk from Follaky. In the afternoon, make your way towards the theatre via Piazza del Plebiscito and the Galleria Umberto I: when you come back in the evening, you'll already recognise the San Carlo's façade.
Then head back to your suite for a shower and to change. The theatre asks for suitable dress: vest tops and shorts are not allowed, and the ticket is non-refundable. Doors open an hour beforehand; the theatre recommends arriving at least 20 minutes before curtain-up, and latecomers are only admitted to the auditorium at the first interval (Teatro di San Carlo FAQs).
The 20:00 curtain is the fixed point of the day. With around three hours of opera, you can have dinner early or after the performance; our restaurant guide helps you choose where. The same pattern applies to the other dates, arriving the day before each performance; more ideas for a stay built around the theatre are in An Evening at San Carlo, a Few Days in Naples.
Saturday 24 October: Cappella Sansevero or the seafront
Saturday 24 is a full day. You can spend it in the Decumani and at the Cappella Sansevero, at Via Francesco De Sanctis 19/21, just behind Piazza San Domenico Maggiore: about a 31-minute walk from Follaky.
To see the Veiled Christ, booking is compulsory, and online tickets go on sale up to 60 days in advance. The museum is open from 09:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:30, and is closed on Tuesdays — the same day as the 20 and 27 October performances.
If you'd rather stay close by, the Via Caracciolo seafront and the Villa Comunale are about a 7-minute walk away. More ideas for sightseeing are gathered in what to see in Naples; for the rest of the month, there's Naples in October.
With three nights, departure can wait until Sunday 25. On Sunday, check-out is by 10:00 and you leave via Vico Monteroduni 16, not Via Chiaia: our access guide describes both entrances.
Which suite for a night at the opera?
Follaky Secret Garden is a boutique B&B in the residential grounds of Palazzo Giovagnoni: the pedestrian entrance is at Via Chiaia 149F, while taxis and luggage are directed to Vico Monteroduni 16. There are two suites, each for two guests, with an independent, private entrance.
The Suite Chiaia Deluxe Garden View is the more intimate of the two, looking onto two adjoining private gardens; the Suite Toledo Deluxe Private Patio is larger and brighter, with a small private patio. Both have a queen-size bed and a private bathroom, with Follaky Breakfast included. If you're coming to the opera with another couple, Double Suites – Exclusive Use brings both suites together for exclusive use, for up to four guests.
Once you've settled on a performance, and bought your ticket through the theatre's own channels, all that's left is deciding where to return after the final applause: the garden views of the Suite Chiaia or the patio of the Suite Toledo. Check your October dates at the Follaky suites.
