Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it hosted operas, operettas, comedies, and concerts, often in alternation or competition with the Teatro della Pergola. Although its programming was uneven and the building showed signs of decline, the Politeama played a significant role in the city’s musical life. In 1928, it was acquired by the municipality, which began its transformation into the Teatro Comunale, with the aim of establishing a permanent center for musical culture.

In 1929, following acquisition by the Municipality of Florence, the Teatro Comunale di Firenze was officially founded. Home to the Stabile Orchestrale Fiorentina and the prestigious Maggio Musicale Festival, it ushered in a period of great artistic production. The festival restored a high-level and increasingly prestigious operatic and symphonic repertoire to Florence, establishing itself as an international reference point for both traditional and experimental classical music. 

Between the 1960s and the end of the century, the Teatro Comunale consolidated its central role in the European opera and symphony scene. Florence’s Maggio Musicale established itself with a programme of great classics – from Verdi to Wagner – accompanied by Italian premieres and contemporary works by composers such as Dallapiccola, Berio and Henze. The presence of conductors such as Giulini, Abbado and, since the 1990s, Zubin Mehta, further raised the artistic level of the orchestra and its productions. The theatre has also hosted productions by innovative directors such as Luca Ronconi and Bob Wilson, a sign of its openness to new forms of staging. Over the years, the Teatro Comunale has succeeded in combining historical repertoire with experimentation, remaining a cultural beacon for Florence and for music in Italy.

In the new millennium, the theatre underwent a complete renovation: an ambitious new project for a true cultural hub was proposed in the Cascine area. The result was the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, inaugurated in 2014. Located near the Stazione Leopolda, the new complex is an example of both architectural and functional excellence, designed to host prestigious productions, festivals, events and international performances.