Culture of Milan nevertheless it retained a sort of central position in cultural debates. New ideas and movements from other countries of Europe were accepted and discussed: thus Realism and Naturalism gave birth to an Italian movement, "Verismo". The greatest "verista" novelist, Giovanni Verga, was born in Sicily but wrote his most important books in Milan. Milan is a major nationwide and international centre of the performing arts, most notably opera. Milan is the location of "La Scala" opera house, one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world, and throughout history has hosted the premieres of numerous operas, such as "Nabucco"
DeGive's Opera House Hall, later destroyed in a fire in May, 1866. In 1893, DeGive opened the new, larger DeGive's Grand Opera House, which would later become Loew's Grand Theatre, at Peachtree and Forsyth. DeGive's was not the first opera house in Atlanta. The first shows performed in Atlanta predate the American Civil War and were primarily performed in makeshift facilities modified for the operatic arts. Reconstruction saw the formation of the Atlanta Opera House and Building Association. The association obtained the southwest corner of Marietta Street and Forsythe Street to construct a five-story opera house. By 1868, they were out of money.