Municipal Theater (Caldarola)

The history of the Municipal Theater

The palace that houses it was built toward the end of the 16th century at the wish of Cardinal Evangelista Pallotta, as the seat of the Comune and the residence of the podestà. In 1823 the town council decided to build a wooden theater there with 22 small boxes. The boxes were assigned to local families, except for two reserved for the papal Governor and the Magistrate. The theater was in operation during the Carnival of 1830. In 1887 it was closed because it was considered dilapidated.

In 1901 a new theater co-ownership was formed. The expansion project was entrusted to Filippo Amici, and the work was completed in 1906. The theater was closed for restoration in 1980 and reopened in 1986.

The damage from the 2016 earthquake led to a new round of work, from 2020 to 2023. The work involved demolishing and rebuilding the roof, the masonry, the building systems and the restoration of the paintings. The inauguration on October 21, 2023 came in the year the theater turned 200.

What to see in the Municipal Theater

The auditorium has a horseshoe plan, with two tiers of boxes and a gallery-style upper circle. It can hold 291 spectators. The decoration is in late 19th-century taste: white and gold stuccoes adorn the parapets of the boxes and the upper circle, while the proscenium boxes are separated by two pilasters with Corinthian capitals.

After the restoration of the 1980s, the ceiling was decorated with the four seasons, from a sketch by Professor Guido Bruzzesi of Macerata.

How to visit the Municipal Theater

The theater is active. It can be entered during theatrical events, so check the program before going. The season includes plays, dialect theater festivals and concerts. Contact details are in the information box on this page.

Where the Municipal Theater is located

The theater is in the center of Caldarola, in the 16th-century palace commissioned by Cardinal Pallotta, near the square. The exact address is in the information box.

Around the Municipal Theater

Cardinal Pallotta redesigned the urban layout of Caldarola. Near the square he also had the Palazzo dei Priori built. Also in Caldarola is the Parish Theater.

To discover other theaters in the area, see the page on the historic theaters of the Sibillini. They include the La Fenice Theater in Amandola, the Vittoria Theater in Sarnano, the Municipal Theater Giacomo Leopardi in San Ginesio and the Filippo Marchetti Theater in Camerino.