The present paper focuses on the Politeama Verdi Theater in Carrara, a majestic example of the Antonelliana school designed by Leandro Caselli in the last decades of the 19th century. Recently, the building has suffered severe structural damage, mainly due to the modifications it has undergone over time and absence of correct maintenance. This study aims at providing some considerations about the structural principles according to which this building, but also many similar Italian constructions of the same period, was conceived. Besides a general description of the building and the description of the main structural damage it has suffered, an assessment of the stress rates of some structural elements under static loads is provided, proving that a very careful approach should have been adopted in the modification of the building for preserving such iconic construction.