| Ciro in Babilonia, ossia La caduta di Baldassare | |
|---|---|
| Azione sacra by Gioachino Rossini | |
_(cropped).jpg) Set design by Alessandro Sanquirico at La Scala, 1818 | |
| Librettist | Francesco Aventi |
| Language | Italian |
| Premiere | 14 March 1812 |
Ciro in Babilonia, ossia La caduta di Baldassare (Cyrus in Babylon, or The Downfall of Belshazzar) is an azione sacra in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Francesco Aventi. It was first performed at the Teatro Comunale in Ferrara during Lent, 1812. The exact date of the premiere is unknown but is believed to be 14 March. During Lent it was the custom for Italian opera houses either to close or to stage works on themes from the Bible. Ciro in Babilonia is one of two Lenten operas by Rossini (along with Mosè in Egitto) and is based on the Biblical story of the overthrow of the Babylonian king Belshazzar by the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great.