Teatro Umberto Giordano

Foggia's municipal theatre began in 1828 as the Real Teatro Ferdinando and took the name of the city's composer Umberto Giordano in 1928. Bombed during the Second World War and later restored, the theatre reopened in 2014 and remains a centre for drama, opera, symphonic music and dance.

Why it matters

Built under the Bourbon Intendency of Capitanata, the theatre gave Foggia a purpose-designed stage almost two centuries ago. It is among the oldest working theatres in Puglia, alongside the Mercadante in Cerignola and the Curci in Barletta. Its history encompasses Bourbon origins, a patriotic renaming after Italian unification, the dedication to Giordano, wartime damage and a major modern restoration.

What to notice

The exterior reflects the theatre's simple Bourbon-era neoclassical architecture, while the gilded auditorium offers a more elaborate interior. The Sala Fedora, created during the 1982 restoration and named after one of Giordano's best-known operas, is part of the building's foyer. The theatre's continuing programme spans spoken drama, opera, symphonic concerts, ballet and jazz.

Context and history

Provincial engineer Luigi Oberty drew the project in 1824, and the Real Teatro Ferdinando opened in May 1828. It reopened as Teatro Dauno in 1860 and closed again in 1868 after being declared unsafe. On 23 August 1928 the municipality renamed it for Umberto Giordano, born in Foggia on 28 August 1867 and known for operas including Andrea Chénier and Fedora. Bombing in 1943 damaged the theatre. A restoration in 1982 created the Sala Fedora; after structural problems led to closure in 2006, the theatre reopened on 10 December 2014 with the Orchestra Giovanile Cherubini conducted by Riccardo Muti.