Teatro Petruzzelli
Bari
The Teatro Petruzzelli is Bari's largest theatre and the fourth-largest opera house in Italy. A symbol of civic pride, reborn from the ashes of a terrible fire after years of neglect and waiting, today it is once again fully home to great opera seasons, ballets and concerts, bringing new life to the cultural scene of the Apulian capital.
History
The Teatro Petruzzelli opened in 1903, the initiative of the brothers Onofrio and Antonio Petruzzelli, shipowners and merchants from Bari who wanted to give their city a great theatre worthy of the European capitals. The building rose on land granted by the city and soon became one of the temples of Italian opera, hosting the most important artists of the 20th century. Legendary names of music and ballet performed on its stage, and premieres and major productions were staged here that established its national and international prestige.
What to see
The building stands out for its imposing horseshoe-shaped hall, crowned by a large frescoed dome, which at its opening had 2,192 seats (today 1,482, reduced for safety rules) across several tiers of boxes. The interiors, richly decorated with gold, velvet and stucco, were faithfully rebuilt after the fire to match their original look. The monumental façade, sober and elegant, looks onto corso Cavour, one of the main streets of the modern city.
Curiosities
On the night between 26 and 27 October 1991 an arson fire devastated the theatre, leaving it a blackened, roofless shell. The rebuilding took years of work and went through many complex court cases: the Petruzzelli finally reopened its doors only in 2009, welcomed with great popular emotion. Its rebirth is seen by the people of Bari as a symbol of tenacity and redemption.
How to visit
The theatre stands in the modern centre of the city, along corso Cavour, a short walk from the seafront. Besides the opera, ballet and symphony seasons, guided tours let you discover the hall, the foyers and the reception rooms. Attending a performance in the great restored hall remains the most intense way to feel the acoustics and atmosphere that made this theatre famous. A fascinating stop on the treasure map in Murattiano Bari, the 19th-century grid district named after Joachim Murat.
