Teatro Ventidio Basso

The Teatro Ventidio Basso is Ascoli Piceno's principal historic theatre, designed by Ireneo Aleandri and completed in 1846. Its neoclassical architecture, horseshoe auditorium and painted ceiling preserve the character of a nineteenth-century Italian opera house.

Why it matters

The theatre was commissioned by a group of music-loving citizens and remains the largest historic theatre in the province. Its name honours Publio Ventidio Basso, an Ascolan-born Roman general who celebrated victories over the Parthians. The building links Ascoli's theatrical tradition, documented from the early sixteenth century, with the civic ambition of the nineteenth century.

What to notice

The travertine façade on Via del Trivio leads to an atrium with allegories of the arts by Giorgio Paci and statues by Paci and his son Emidio. The auditorium is horseshoe-shaped, with four tiers of twenty-three boxes and a gallery. Ferdinando Cicconi painted the ceiling, while Pietro Carbonari of Jesi painted the wall frescoes. The original curtain depicted Ventidio Basso's triumph over the Parthians in a scene by Vincenzo Podesti; a later curtain shows Piazza del Popolo. The foyer retains its original stuccoes and displays works from the civic picture gallery.

Context and history

Planning began in 1827, and Aleandri began construction around 1840 before withdrawing from the project after disagreements with the commission. Marco Massimi, Gabriele Gabrielli and Giambattista Carducci completed the theatre between 1840 and 1846, modifying the original designs; Gabrielli was responsible for much of the porticoed façade. The theatre reopened in 1994 after a twentieth-century restoration.