Located a stone’s throw from Milan’s characteristic Porta Romana, the theatre was founded in 1972 with the name Salone Pier Lombardo by Franco Parenti and Andrée Shamamah, together with Giovanni Testori, Dante Isella and Gian Maurizio Fercioni.
Upon Parenti’s death in 1989, Andrée Shammah assumed full management of the theatre. She chose to name it after the deceased co-founder without changing its eclectic vocation focused on innovations in Italy and abroad, as well as reinterpreting the classics from a contemporary perspective. The theatre’s programme also featured a vibrant and diversified range of cultural events, concerts, film exhibitions, conferences, festivals and presentations, making Teatro Parenti a point of reference on Milan’s cultural scene.
Renovated in recent years with a design by Michele De Lucchi, today the theatre includes three halls for performances, two foyers, two rehearsal rooms, new dressing rooms and offices, a space for post-performance refreshments and a cafeteria.