Description of the attraction
Teatro Comunale is one of the oldest theaters in Bologna, located in the heart of the city, not far from the famous Two Towers. Its building - the creation of the famous architect, decorator and painter Antonio Galli Bibien - is an excellent example of 18th century Italian architecture. Teatro Komunale is a breathtaking place where form and content, the radiance of the scenery and unique acoustics are in perfect harmony. In addition to theatrical performances themselves, events of another kind are regularly held here - commercial, exhibition, industrial.
The history of Teatro Komunale is unusual. On a February night in 1745, the Malvezzi family theater, built in 1653, was razed to the ground. By all accounts, it was the most outstanding theater of the time, instilling in the people of Bologna a love of popular musical performances, and its loss became a citywide grief. Only 10 years later, in 1755, Pope Lambertini gave permission for the construction of a new theater, and the Senate commissioned the architect Antonio Galli Bibiena to design the building. It was decided to build on the same site - before the theater of Malvetia, there was a palace of the Bentivoglio family, destroyed during one of the popular riots.
Despite the many controversies surrounding such an important project, the new theater building was inaugurated in May 1763. The first performance was Pietro Metastasio's opera The Triumph of Clelia to music by Christoph Gluck. At the beginning of the 19th century, the popularity of the theater increased incredibly, thanks to the operas by Rossini staged here. Here Donizetti and Bellini received world recognition. In 1843, Verdi's opera Nabucco, or Nebuchadnezzar, was staged 32 times on the theater stage. Later, under the direction of Angelo Mariano, the Teatro Comunale began to give performances created by foreign composers - one of the most popular was Richard Wagner.
In 1931, a terrible fire broke out in the theater building, which seriously damaged the facade and the main portico, which, fortunately, were already restored in 1935. Today, Teatro Comunale is bathed in glory - world-famous stars perform here, and it itself is considered one of the most famous Italian opera houses.
