Comunale Theater Carpi

Vecchio Theater was built almost completely in wood, despite several renovations, was placed inside Palazzo dei Pio in the Spelta Hall that had the function of old grain warehouse. At the end of 18th century with the Napoleonic invasions, the Academy becomes and the Philharmonic Society and it is what generated all the theatrical activity throughout the first half of the 19th century and reached immediately after the riots of '48 and at the end of Este leadership, to form the Society of Palchettisti: the meeting of corporate owner-users-operators in the theater. In 1857, at the request of this association (linked, however, the National Societies of politics and patriotic politician leading the Unity of Italy), the architect Claudio Rossi, belonging to the neoclassical school of Modena of Cesare Costa, presented to the Municipality two projects for a new theater, this time, exterior masonry and fully capable of at least 600 seats. The Society of Palchettisti obtained its piece of land from the Municipality virtually free, it self-financed the construction works for nearly three years, by approving the draft of Rossi closer to the architectural style dictated by the Scala of Milan (1776-1778), supplemented by the particular experiences about the Regio Theater of Parma (1821-1829) and especially the Comunale Theater of Reggio Emilia (1857). Meanwhile, the regional government fo Este falls, replaced by the National leadership of Savoy: At this point the Nuovo Theater also becomes the symbol of the regained national unity. With a legal transaction, signed July 13, 1860 the Company renounces for ever to property of the new Comunale Theater in favor of the Town Hall, reserving the sole property of their boxes, active as long as the boxes will originate direct descendants. On 11 August 1861, a proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy took place, the new Comunale Theater opens its doors with an opera season choosing for the occasion: Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi and Favorita by Gaetano Donizetti, which joins the fun dancing Graziella by choreographer from Vienna. From that date on the Comunale Theater has always followed the history of this city, also evolved structurally: electrification in 1898-99, replacing the pews with chairs of the beginning of twentieth century, complete structural renovation and addition of heating and ventilation in 1980-81, transformation of the lodge and numbered seats in the arena in 2003-04.