 The original Teatro San Samuele was destroyed by fire on the last night of September 1747.A new theatre was built in almost identical design and opened in May 1748 as opulent competition for the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo.The new theatre became associated with the opera buffa repertoire, as the Grimani family preferred to stage opera seria and other more dramatic works at their other theatre, the Teatro San Benedetto (built 1755).