Festival Puccini produced the first performances of a Puccini opera on the lake shore, in front of the Maestro's house. In a provisional theatre, the "Carro di Tespi Lirico" with its stage built on piles stuck in the lake, a travelling opera company performed "La bohème" directed by Forzano and conducted by Mascagni. The same company came back in 1931 when Beniamino Gigli and Adelaide Saraceni performed in "La bohème", while Rosetta Pampanini and Angelo Michetti performed "Madama Butterfly". This was the beginning of what was to become a major opera festival. However, in the years before 1949, due to the political
Asmara's Opera in a side building, the headquarters of the national telephone company Eritel. In the Asmara's Opera were performed many "Commedie" and opera works like those of Pirandello and music by Puccini and Verdi, with soprano from the best theaters in Italy: for example, in 1951 was performed "La Patente" of Pirandello and music of Chopin. After World War II and until the 1970s in the Asmara Opera performed even international companies with famous "artistic & musical tours", like those of Renato Rascel and Renato Carosone. The theater was still occasionally used in 2012. Asmara's Opera Asmara's Opera ("Teatro Asmara" in