The Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari is the fourth largest theatre in Italy.
It was built between 1898 and 1903, registered as a building of historical and artistic interest in 1954, and as a traditional opera house in 1967.
It is also an example of how important theatre is in Italian life because after the original 19th-century structure was extensively damaged by fire in an arson attack in October 1991, the theatre was rebuilt just as it was. The arson attack led to a criminal trial as well as legal action to determine who was responsible for insuring and rebuilding what was the only privately owned opera house in Europe because the owners, the Messeni Nemagna family, did not have the funds required to complete the restoration work. Eventually, the Teatro Petruzzelli was rebuilt using public funds and it reopened in 2009. It stages operas, ballets and concerts.
The revamped theatre appears to be old, but is in fact a marvellous hybrid of the traditional and the contemporary. The original structure seated 3,200 people but in accordance with safety measures, the theatre now seats 1,480.
The brick red and ivory exterior with its semi-circular dome is remarkable, especially when you consider the effort that has gone into recreating the masonry and even the colours of the plaster and paint on the façade to recreate the look of the original. A new shade of paint, Rosso Petruzzelli, was developed to comply with cultural heritage requirements drawing on a study of the various layers of paint already on the façade.
Inside, the theatre has been lovingly restored, complete with ornate gilded stuccowork and plaster statuary.
Where: Teatro Petruzzelli, Corso Cavour, 12, 70122 Bari, Apulia
