Teatro delle Muse

Ancona's Teatro delle Muse opened in 1827, was damaged by a wartime bombing and reopened in 2002 after decades of inactivity. The reconstruction preserved the neoclassical exterior while placing a contemporary auditorium inside, giving the theatre a distinctive relationship between historic shell and modern interior.

Why it matters

The theatre was built when Ancona was a papal port with cultural ambitions. After wartime damage in 1943, the building remained inactive for decades. The 2002 reconstruction by architects Danilo Guerri and Paola Salmoni placed a contemporary auditorium behind the preserved exterior and developed the idea of a teatro-piazza, a public room as well as a performance space. The tympanum above the entrance shows the nine Muses associated with the theatre's name.

What to notice

The neoclassical exterior was designed by Pietro Ghinelli. A relief by Giacomo De Maria above the entrance depicts the Muses with Apollo. Inside, the horseshoe-shaped auditorium retains four tiers of boxes. The fireproof stage curtain, designed by Ancona sculptor Valeriano Trubbiani, spans the stage opening. The surviving entrance staircase and atrium contrast with the contemporary hall beyond.

Context and history

The theatre was inaugurated in 1827 to Ghinelli's design. A bomb damaged its roof in 1943 and brought performances to a halt. Reconstruction gathered pace in the 1990s around the project by Guerri and Salmoni, and the theatre reopened on 13 October 2002 with a gala concert conducted by Riccardo Muti. The institution honours tenor Franco Corelli, born in Ancona in 1921, through a biennial award bearing his name.