Teatro dei Differenti

The 18th Century theatre of the “Differenti”, the name being taken from the name of the Academy which built it. This theatre is of great interest both artistically and culturally and has a long and fascinating history. It was first built in wood in the year 1689, but a little more than a century later it was considered inadequate for the activities that were to take place there and so between 1793 and 1795 it was knocked down and rebuilt in the form that is seen today. The work was financed by members of the Academy, originally called the “The Indifferenti”, which was founded in 1688, and which later changed its name to the Academy of the “Differenti”. The elaborate and sumptuous decorations on the inside of the theatre are the work of Francesco Fontanesi, a painter from Reggio Emilia who, at the time, was the scenographer for most of the major theatres in Tuscany. Plays and operas are still performed in the theatre and, in its time, many a famous personage has walked its boards. On November 26, 1911, Giovanni Pascoli gave his famous speech in favour of the war with Libya, entitled “The great proletariat is on the move”, and a stone plaque was erected to record the event.

In more recent times the theatre fell into disuse for a while because it did not conform to the strict safety laws for public entertainments. It was then bought by the town council who, with a reconstruction project financed principally by European funding, completely renovated it in line with current law. It is now modernised and outfitted so that it can be used to its full potential.

The reorganisation of the space outside the theatre has been the subject of much criticism. It is, in fact, not only quite different from the original, but also different from the reorganisation carried out after the last war when a number of buildings damaged by bombs were knocked down completely and small green areas were created.

All the article on barganews mentioning the Teatro dei Differenti are here