Giuseppe Damiani Almeyda designed the Teatro Politeama Garibaldi, which stands on Piazza Ruggero Settimo in Palermo. The contract was signed in 1865, work began in 1867, and in 1868 the design changed from an amphitheatre to a full theatre. It opened on June 7, 1874 with Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi, though it was not yet complete. The roof was finished in 1877, and final work was done by 1891, when King Umberto I and Queen Margherita attended the official opening.
The Neoclassical entrance is a triumphal arch topped by a bronze quadriga by Mario Rutelli, with polychrome decoration by local painters. Statues of knights by Benedetto Civiletti flank it. The theatre was named after Giuseppe Garibaldi following his death in 1882.
It seats 950 and is the headquarters of the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana.
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