Teatro della Pergola #2

The Teatro della Pergola, the oldest theater in use in Italy, is a couple of blocks from where we live.

In an earlier blogpost, we shared our experience of attending a piano recital at the Pergola.  In this post, we share highlights of our recent behind-the-scenes tour of the theater. 

Susan is an alumna of Gonzaga University's law school in Spokane.  It turns out that Gonzaga has one of the oldest and largest study abroad programs here in Florence.  Since arriving in October, we have made friends with people connected with Gonzaga's program and we were invited to join some of the cultural events organized for the students.  Touring the Pergola was one of those events. 

The tour was fun and educational.  Our group leader was Guido from Gonzaga and our guide was Claudia who is responsible for preserving the cultural heritage of the Pergola.  Below are some highlights from our tour. 

Lobby and Foyer:  The tour started in the lobby and foyer which were added in the 1850's.  The architecture is neo-classical and we felt like we stepped back in time when we entered the theater.

Teatro della Pergola:  lobby and foyer beyond the doors

Teatro della Pergola:  the chandelier and ornate ceiling of the lobby

The lobby has paintings depicting Greek and Roman legends.  The paintings signify the origins of theater in Western civilization and the architectural style and design of the theater.

Hector Scolds Paris by Pietro Benvenuti (1808)

Death of Lucretia by Giuseppe Collignon (1833) 

Claudia and Guido

The coat of arms the Pergola's founders.

The theater was built and financed by a private club of the wealthiest Florentine merchants, bankers and landowners. The club was known as the L'Accademia degli Immobili.  Their motto was In sua movenza è fermo represented by the windmill in the coat of arms above.  According to a descendant of one of the club founders, the motto, roughly translated, means moving forward while preserving the mission.  The theater has remained lived up to the motto since it remains the oldest active theater in Italy after 350 years.

Backstage and Underground:

Claudia showing the backstage and traditional means for changing scenery on stage. 

Under the stage is the medieval portion of the theater.  The theater was built on top of a demolished medieval building.  In the photo, the guide Claudia shows off a reproduction of a device for simulating thunder.   

A reproduction of device for simulating wind noise. 

A reproduction of a device for simulating both rain and ocean waves.  The arms of the device are similar to Australian rain sticks.

A medieval brick wall of the original building on top of which the theater was built. 

Museum:  The theater has a large collection of original costumes from the past three centuries.  Since the originals can no longer be used without being damaged, the theater creates reproductions that match the originals in appearance.  The current display is English costumes from the Elizabethan age. 

In addition to costumes, the museum has various other artifacts.

A model of the Pergola theater as it was originally constructed in 1657.  The seats on the floor were divided between men and women.  The first row of boxes belonged to the families that owned the theater.  To the far left is the royal box of the Medici family.

A model of the crane used to raise and lower the chandelier in the theater.  The chandelier was lit with candles and was raised to the ceiling during performances.

The "throne".  The chair was built for Giuseppe Verdi during rehearsals of his opera Macbeth which premiered at the Pergola in 1847.  Claudia, our guide, explained that the chair was needed because rehearsals were long and tiring since Verdi was often arguing with the diva or with his wife.   

An old light board once used at the Pergola

In the mid-1800's, the Pergola experienced financial difficulties.  To increase revenue, the theater was used as a ballroom.  To create a large floor for dancing, the chairs were removed and the floor of the theater was mechanically raised to be level with the stage so the dancers could swirl around the entire theater.  The two photos below show the device used to lift the theater floor.  Workers or mules would pull ropes that moved pulleys connected to triangular arms that would rotate, lifting the floor.  Due to flood damage in November 1966, the device is no longer used.  

 

The workers (or mules) would pull a rope connected to the large wheel which spins and in turn spins the small wheel in the foreground.  The small wheel is connected to triangular arms, or levers, and pulls the long arm of the lever downward. 

The long arm of the triangular lever is pulled downward by the rope on the left while the short arm on the right moves upward, lifting the floor above. 

A poster showing the floor lifting device

Thanks for joining our behind-the-scenes tour.

Pop Quiz:  Now, it's time for a pop quiz.  Who invented the telephone and where did the telephone have its origins.