The first stone for the theatre was set by the general administrator of the Duchy Mr. Moreau de Saint-Méry, on behalf of France, and it was inaugurated in 1804 during a popular feast with fireworks and a horse fair. The project of the Municipal Theatre came from the architect Lotario Tomba thanks to the concerted action of some noble families in Piacenza who united in a group in 1803.
The façade, retouched in 1830 by Alessandro Sanquirico – scenographer and architect who worked at La Scala in Milan and also worked on the decorations inside the Municipal Theatre – recalls the more famous model by Piermarini for La Scala. The façade was also enriched with a portico for coaches to stop by, according to the needs of the time. Above the doors of the stone balcony on the first floor there are the bas-reliefs representing the Allegories of Theatrical Genres by Alessandro Pettinati.
The plan is for 3/4 elliptical to satisfy the acoustic and visual needs of the theatre. The structural solution adopted by Tomba is described as a beehive all’italiana, which exploits the space of the cavea to create more balconies and increase the number of seats for the audience. The current layout of the theatre is a result of a further reorganization from 1850, giving a sort of romantic style splendour to the interior design thanks to the red velvet and golden decorations. The elegantly decorated foyer is accessible through glass doors and mirrors framed with golden and carved wood. The frescoes on the vault above the parterre and the stuccoed fretwork are by Girolamo Magnani.
In the last few decades the Municipal Theatre went through a series of renovation works, with the result that in the attic was created the large and comfortable Sala degli Scenografi.
The seats now available are 1075, of which 871 available for the audience during performances.
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