Teatro Carlo Goldoni

Bagnacavallo

General

The main frontage of the theatre is located on Piazza della Libertà, right the centre of Bagnacavallo. Together with the adjacent Palazzo Comunale, it forms the north wing of the square.

In the Middle Ages, this was the market sqaure and stood at the entrance to the town along the ancient Strada Maestra. The Chiesa del Suffragio, the Civic Tower and Palazzo Vecchio line square.  The Teatro Carlo Goldoni in Bagnacavallo preserves the house curtain painted in tempera by the Bologna artits Antonio Muzzi. The curtain shows a scene in whic the Renaissance painter Bartolomeo Ramenghi from Bagnacavallo receives the Bolognese senator Camillo Gozzadini. Other characters are Countess Aldrovandi, Gozzadini’s wife, and Primaticcio, a former student of Ramenghi, who became famous in France. The decorations in the scene are based on real life and the characters are dressed in 16th-century clothing.

The theatre’s rigging system is both operated manually by ropes and is motorised. Many of the historic stage machines have been preserverd. These include the cavalry machine, a thunder machine, a rain machine, and a gunfire machine used to create special effects during performances. These stage machines are no longer in use. Also preserved are scenary wagond used for moving sets from below the stage. The Municipal Archives contain several playbills announcing “Questa sera si rappresenta” (On Stage Tonight).

The Municipality of Bagnacavallo manages the theatre and outsources the artistic direction and the organisation of the various seasons. The theatre calendar includes a drama season, children’s theatre, contemporary theatre, theatre for schools, classical music, and theatre in dialect. The theatre also hosts cultural and charity events organised in collaboration with local volunteer groups. The theatre can be visited as part of guided tours organised by the municipal councip at certain times of the year or for groups.

Historical Context

Age of the Bourgeois Revolutions (1789-1848)

Design and Inauguration dates

1839-1845

Filippo Antolini (1787-1859)

Owned by

Municipality of Bagnacavallo

Capacity

388

Continuity of use/Activity

104 days open / year
82 days theatre activities
22 days community cultural activities

Artists

Francesco Migliari, Antonio Tognetti (decorations in auditorium and boxes), Giuseppe Badiali (stage designs), Antonio Muzzi (curtain), Carlo Sarti and Michele Contarini (stage machinery)

Location

Bagnacavallo

Ravenna
,
Emilia-Romagna

Population in

1861

13.844 inhabitants

Current Population

16.483 inhabitants

Teatro Carlo Goldoni
Town hall
Chiesa del Suffragio
Civic tower
Church of SS. Michele Arcangelo e Pietro Apostolo
Church of San Giovanni Battista

Plan

Horseshoe

Building
Auditorium

Building

Façade

Neoclassical style with features from the late 16th century, mainly seen in the work of architects who studies at the Accademia San Luca in Rome, who designed public works in various areas of the Papal Legations. The brick front presents two levels.

The five-arch arcade on the lower levels framed by Ionic half-columns, and an entablature that ends with an overhanging cornice. The upper floor has five circular windows, each containing full-length sculptures of famous authors from tragesy, drama, comedy, and mime. An additional bay on the left side of the façade ties the building stylistically and in terms of dimensions to the nearby Palazzo Comunale (town hall). The planned plastering of the façade was never completed.

Layout of interior spaces

The inside of the construction presents the same ordered, linear layout that influenced the overall design and is a common feature in the work of Filippo Antolini, whose designs strictly adhered to neoclassical criteria. The atrium has a decorated ceiling. The ridotto is located on the third floor of the building.

Auditorium

Vertical arrangement

Three tiers of boxes with a continuous parapet and a gallery lined with round arches.

Plafond

Shallow camorcanna umbrella vault set on pillars separating the boxes. A 2.66 metres diameter ring in the centre of the vault has shuttered hatch that opens to allow fumes and smoke to escape. The vaulted ceiling and the box parapets are decorated with frescoes by Francesco Migliari from Ferrara. The stucco work is by Antonio Tognetti from Bologna. Instead of the typical mythological figures, we find figures from history and social life dating back to the origins of Rome.

The four ceiling medallions represent Agriculture, Architecture, Legislation, and Politics. The frieze surrounding the ceiling is decorated with allegories, emblems and animals relating to the themes of the medallions.

Decorative elements

The decoration is restrained and delicately expressive on all surfaces. The box parapets were painted by Francesco Migliari of Ferrara, an artist with a vivid imagination, exceptional sensitivity and consummate craftsmanship. The fascia below the first tier presents a pink imitation marble finish. The parapets on the first tier display dramatic depictions of shields, spears and armour, alternating with images of plants and animals agains a white background.

Simple decorative motifs and symbols appear on the second and thirs tiers. These designs include tragic masks, flower-filled cornucopias, harps, birds, and painted panels, symbolising painting and poetry. The clock above the proscenium arch flanked by floating figures of the Horae. The proscenium is decorated with gilded wooden medallions on the parapets depicting famous men from local history.