The Teatro dell’Aquila in Fermo is situated adjacent to the present-day Palazzo Comunale (town hall) and stands on Via Mazzini, the street that connects Piazza del Popolo to the Cathedral. The theatre building is embedded in the continuous line of buildings that forms a long, irregular urban block. The nearby Piazza del Popolo is the heart of the city and is lined by two imposing 16th-century brick arcades. The two narrower sides of the square are closed by Palazzo dei Priori, which now houses the City of Fermo Civic Art Gallery, and Palazzo del Governatore. The loggia of San Rocco, built in 1528, houses the small church of San Rocco.
The house curtain of the Teatro dell’Aquila was painted by Luigi Cochetti in 1830. It shows Harmony giving the cithara to the Genius of Fermo. The scene takes place in an arboreal landscape crossed by the River Tenna, symbolically represented by an old man half-reclining at the foot of a tree. The theatre also conserves a number of historic backdrops: six are attributed to Alessandro Sanquirico, three to scenographer Giovanni Nunzi and the remaining eight are by unknown artists. Both manual rope rigging and motorised rigging systems are used in the theatre. The theatre is also equipped with a historic fly system for transferring the historic backdrops between the stage and the stage tower. Below the structure is a fire-fighting system, originally designed to be filled with water to prevent the spread of fire.
The Teatro dell’Aquila in Fermo offers a varied calendar of cultural activities that includes a drama season organised in collaboration with AMAT, featuring the TIR festival for children and the “Scuola di Platea” project for lower secondary school students. The opera season is organised by the Fondazione Rete Lirica delle Marche, with events targeting young people and families, and the “Opera Domani” project for primary and lower secondary schools. The symphony music season is organised in partnership with FORM (Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana). The concert season involves the Gioventù Musicale di Fermo organisation, the Accademia “A. Giostra” and the Accademia DAS. The theatre also hosts preview events of national and international productions, artist-in-residence programmes for opera and drama productions, as well as musicals and dance performances. The building is also a venue for numerous conferences, congresses, exhibitions and book presentations, promoted by various organisations and associations.
The Teatro dell’Aquila in Fermo maintains several significant partnerships that enrich its cultural offer. It collaborates with the Conservatorio “G. B. Pergolesi” of Fermo for the music season, including opera and symphony orchestra concerts involving students and teachers of the conservatory. The theatre is a partner of the Antiqua Marca Firmana cultural centre involved in the organisation of the “A. Postacchini” International Violin Competition, a prestigious international contest in its 31st edition in 2024. The theatre’s educational offer includes a special arrangement with the Liceo Artistico – Istituto d’Arte “Licini-Preziotti” for its scenography course, which includes periods of work experience during the opera production residency programme. The theatre is open to visitors from Tuesday to Sunday and tours can be organised by request.
