Teatro Zandonai in Rovereto (Trento) was built in 1782 to a project by architect Filippo Maccari and inaugurated in 1784 with the opera buffa “Giannina e Bernardone” by Domenico Cimarosa.
It was the first theatre in Trentino, an expression of the aristocratic and bourgeois cultural ferment in Rovereto in the 18th century. Its present-day appearance was created in the 19th century when it was extended towards corso Bettini. During WWI, the theatre was treated barbarously, used as a stables, warehouse and barracks. Stripped of its furnishing and equipment, all that was left of its past splendour was the memory. It was acquired by the municipality of Rovereto in 1920 and, newly restored, reopened on 30 April 1924 with a production of Riccardo Zandonai’s “Giulietta e Romeo”.
After 12 years of restoration work, the theatre reopened for the 2014-15 season. Thanks to historical documents found through archival research many features were rediscovered beneath a layer of plaster: the 1871 façade on corso Bettini, the grand ceiling above the stalls, the four orders of wooden boxes, the decorations on the ceiling of the foyer. During the recovery work, a new scenic tower was built and modern technical systems installed to ensure that the theatre keeps up with the times.
The Zandonai follows the architectural model of the Philarmonic Theatre of Verona. The hall is a horseshoe with three orders of boxes plus a gallery.
Trentino Film Commission
Via Giovanni Zanella 10/2 — 38122 Trento
Phone: +39 0461 49 3501/3508
Fax: +39 0461 495460
Email: filmcommission@provincia.tn.it
