Teatro della Pergola

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The Teatro della Pergola is a theatre in Florence, Italy. It is located in the centre of the city on the Via della Pergola. It was built in 1656 under the direction of the architect Ferdinando Tacca and it’s inaugural production was the opera buffa, Il podestà di Colognole by Giovanni Andrea Moneglia. The theatre is now considered to be the oldest in Italy.

It has two auditoriums, the Sala Grande , with 1,500 seats, and the Saloncino, a former ballroom with 400 seats, which has been used as a recital hall since 1804.

Primarily a court theatre used by the grand dukes of the age, it was only after 1718 that it was opened to the public. In this theatre the grand operas of Mozart were heard for the first time in Italy, and Donizetti’s Parisina and Rosamunde d’Inghilterra, Verdi’s Macbeth (1847) and Mascagni’s Rantzau were given their premiere productions. By the Nineteeth century, it was performing operas of the most well known composers of the day including Bellini and Donizetti.

It was declared a national monument in 1925 and has been restored at least twice.

Today the Theatre presents a broad range of about 250 productions a year, including opera (but only during the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino), and drama ranging from Moliere to Neil Simon.

External links

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