Opera started in Florence at the end of the 16th century by a group called Camerata Fiorentina (literally, those who met in a chamber), comprised of artists, musicians and writers of the time. In the 18th century a new type of opera was cultivated: the opera buffa, also referred to as comic opera, which represented the people belonging to the middle and lower classes. In the 18th century opera had become widely popular in Italy; this popularity soon spread to the rest of Europe. In the 19th century, exceptional composers continued the opera tradition in Italy: Gioacchino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Pietro Mascagni.

Italy offers visitors a rich choice of operatic seasons throughout most of the year. The opera season lasts from December to June, as do the seasons at all Italy's major opera houses: