Teatro Comunale

When Bologna's wooden Teatro Malvezzi of 1651, burned down in 1745, the city decided to build a new one of stone and marble, marking the first time a municipality ever commissioned a theatre for itself. A competition was held for the building, won by Antonio Galli da Bibiena, a member of the prolific clan of theatre and stage designers who were in demand all over Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Teatro Comunale was built over the ruins of the Bentivoglio Palace, which was torn down brick by brick by a furious mob after the family was expelled in 1506. The street to the right of the theatre, Via del Guasto (‘of the broken’), got its name from the ruins, which were too extensive to clear and remained here for decades.

The Bibienas did much to popularize the typical Baroque tiers of boxes, which the Teatro Comunale preserves behind its 1933 façade. It opened on 14 May 1763 with the first opera performance in the city with Il Trionfo di Clelia commissioned from Gluck especially for the occasion. It was an instant hit.