Teatro Sociale

Cittadella's Teatro Sociale is a nineteenth-century civic theatre whose semicircular auditorium retains a decorative cycle by Francesco Bagnara. Its three tiers of boxes and painted surfaces reflect the town's cultural ambitions.

Why it matters

The theatre grew from Cittadella's musical associations and the civic society formed to create a permanent playhouse. Its name, Teatro Sociale, reflects this shared undertaking. The surviving interior decoration gives the building a coherent record of the theatrical culture of its period.

What to notice

The auditorium is arranged around a semicircular hall with three tiers of boxes and a separate fumoir. Bagnara's frescoes of flowers, putti and allegorical figures extend across the vault and box fronts. The facade is attributed to architect Giuseppe Japelli.

Context and history

The Società Filarmonica was founded in 1804, and a Società del Teatro was formally established in 1817 to create the playhouse. Giacomo Bauto designed the building, which was completed under Francesco Cibale. Bagnara's work for the interior was underway by the early 1830s; a letter from 1831 concerns the delivery of painted backdrops. The theatre's history is closely tied to the civic life of the walled town.