Politeama Rossetti

Politeama Rossetti opened on 27 April 1878 and is home to the Teatro Stabile del Friuli Venezia Giulia. Its auditorium, with 1,531 seats, is described by the theatre as the largest theatre hall east of Milan. The building combines a steep-sited neoclassical façade with an auditorium capped by a ceiling pierced by 1,600 optical fibres.

Why it matters

The theatre was commissioned in 1877 by the Società Anonima del Politeama Rossetti, led by Baron Emilio de Morpurgo, and designed by Nicolò Bruno. It was sold to the Comune di Trieste in 1880. After theatre activity ceased in the 1950s, a 1956 protection order prevented its demolition. The building reopened in 1969 as the home of the Teatro Stabile del Friuli Venezia Giulia.

What to notice

The façade faces Viale XX Settembre and rises to meet the avenue’s steep slope. It features neo-Renaissance pilasters, floral friezes and a columned entrance portico. The auditorium’s dome could once be mechanically opened for performances under the sky; the restored ceiling now evokes that effect with 1,600 optical fibres. Four plaster bas-reliefs by Marcello Mascherini, added during Umberto Nordio’s 1928 restoration, represent Music, Dramatic Art, Dance and Song. The smaller Sala Bartoli seats 128.

Context and history

Politeama Rossetti was built by the firm of Giovanni Righetti to Bruno’s design and opened with the ballet Pietro Micca. The building has served multiple performance forms over its history, including opera, operetta, circus, cinema and theatre. After its 1969 reopening, it became the home of the Teatro Stabile. Architects Luciano Celli and Marina Cons led a major restoration from 1999 to 2001.