In a style modern and sumptuous for those times, the Duse Theatre was reopened on November 7, 1904. Of Colliva‘s intervention, the theatre currently retains very little. On December 25, 1945 (with the performance of Rigoletto), it reopened to the public in its current appearance, quite simple and devoid of the original decorations; moreover, the elegant balconies were transformed to make room for two spacious galleries. In return, on this stage, all the most famous drama and revue companies, classical and light music singers, and famous dancers have continued to take turns, perpetuating the successful season started by Emilio Brunetti.
The History of the Teatro Duse in Bologna
Since the mid-Seventeenth century, there was a theater hall in the ancient palazzo del Giglio located in via Cartoleria Vecchia, used by the students of the Collegio dei Nobili dedicated to S. Francesco Saverio. The students staged carnival plays and end-of-year academies there. Marina Calore states in the most recent and comprehensive essay produced about this theater: “For all these performances to be held before a qualified audience of invited guests, it is reasonable to suppose that a theater hall was used (and for the ‘martial arts’ also a ‘riding school’) that was spacious and well-equipped, since the performances, in particular, as we deduce from printed ‘subjects’ or ‘scenarios’, involved many characters on stage, the use of complex and varied scenery, and the accompaniment of a small orchestra” (cit. Calore 1990, p. 88). No description of this hall has come down to us, suggesting it was rather unremarkable.
The theater (under the name of S. Saverio) appears in 1806 on the list compiled by order of the Prefect of the Reno Department, along with three other private theaters in Bologna used by amateur companies: Teatro Taruffi, Teatro Felicini, and Teatro Legnani. In 1822, it was purchased by Antonio Brunetti, who evidently found it still usable as he rented it out for puppet shows, which were very fashionable at the time. In the spring of 1830, the owner, who was an engineer by profession, undertook a radical restoration and expansion of the theater. He intended to change its status and put it in a condition to charge admission fees to the public attending the performances, i.e., to obtain the qualification of “venal,” for which the theater had to meet certain requirements.
The work was completed at the end of the same year and the inauguration took place with the prose play *Love and Cruelty*. According to a periodical from the time, the theater was rectangular in plan with fourteen boxes (arranged in three tiers opposite the stage), four of which served as entrances to as many railings placed on either side of the hall at the same level as the boxes (cf. Calore 1988, p. 88 and note 6). The interiors of the boxes, the parapets, the railings, and the ceiling of the theater were apparently painted with good taste and elegance. The stage was equipped with a good number of sets by skilled artists, whose identities are unknown to us. But despite Antonio Brunetti’s costly efforts, the theater did not obtain the “venal” status. The municipal technician’s inspection and the Nobile Deputation of Shows’ representative gave a positive assessment of the structures but a negative opinion from the Deputation. The theater’s unfortunate location was criticized first of all; moreover, it was noted that it was not advisable to activate another theater as the city already had enough. Meanwhile, this theater hall hosted philanthropic amateur performances, particularly active in that period (1831) marked by insurrectional uprisings and civic engagement.
Notably remembered are a *Filippo* by Vittorio Alfieri performed by Antigono and Agamennone Zappoli and an *Antigone* interpreted by Annina Ghirlanda. Meanwhile, Brunetti obtained some exceptions to the Deputation’s ban on paid shows. In particular, the theater was leased for four years to the famous puppeteer Onofrio Samoggia, who had achieved a high level of artistry in this field. After various vicissitudes (the theater had meanwhile been inherited by Antonio Brunetti’s nephews: Cesare and Emilio), the year 1860 approached. The changed political situation proved decisive for the fate of this theatrical venue.
The provisional Government Junta showed much greater goodwill toward theaters; therefore, the repeated request to operate as a commercial theater was favorably received, provided urgent restoration work was carried out, which was completed very quickly, allowing the theater to reopen on the evening of February 11, 1860, with a musical opera. However, the entire facility needed a global intervention as it was too modest, dirty, poorly lit, and lacked adequate ancillary structures.
Thus, in 1863, a construction site was opened. Emilio Brunetti, who passionately loved the world of entertainment and had already been deeply involved in uplifting the artistic fortunes of the family theater, invested substantial resources to make the new hall modern and comfortable. The theater reopened on the evening of February 18, 1865, with a masked ball, winning unanimous approval from attendees. The hall featured two tiers of galleries and a gallery supported by slender iron columns, with painted decorations by Valentino Solmi and Gaetano Lodi. Additionally, the ceiling of the stalls had a movable crystal skylight, was equipped with a modern gas lighting system (the first in Bologna to have one), heating through radiators located in the basement, and a sound box positioned under the orchestra. Finally, it had a large foyer located on the first floor.
From March 25 of the same year, performances began to follow one another at a frantic pace, initially with the acrobatic company Ciniselli, then with musical operas: *Norma*, *A Masked Ball*, *The Barber of Seville* until the end of summer, thanks to the presence of the movable skylight. The theater experienced considerable success in those years, mainly due to Emilio Brunetti’s dynamism, who knew well how to choose shows aimed at a popular audience, to entertain and educate at the same time. In 1873, the theater was again closed for rather expensive renovation works, which caused a quarrel between the two brothers who owned the theater, consequently placing everything under controlled administration.
Nonetheless, a very prestigious phase began for the theater. Precisely in 1873, the operetta season began, set to have a larger space. Later, from 1879, so-called popular concerts were held, during which conductors of good standing brought the public up to date with the progress of European instrumental music (cf. Calore 1990, p. 93). On November 6, 1878, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita, at the invitation of the Società Operaia ed Artigiana di Bologna, attended a show in this theater. Moreover, there were lectures held by illustrious figures such as Crispi and Carducci. Finally, in March 1882, the great Sarah Bernhardt performed here, winning over the audience with *La Dame aux camélias* and *Frou-Frou*. At the end of the century, the theater was purchased by Cazzani and Lambertini (the latter also owned the Teatro del Corso), who deemed it appropriate to rename it in honor of Eleonora Duse; the ceremony took place on June 12, 1898, with a famous speech by Enrico Panzacchi, followed by performances of *Il Sogno* by D’Annunzio and *La locandiera* by Goldoni.
Shortly thereafter, Lambertini died and the theater was acquired by Re Riccardi, then again restored under the design of architect Lorenzo Colliva. During this intervention, the building was raised to expand the upper galleries, the proscenium was reformed, new stairs were built for greater comfort and safety for the audience, the electrical system was introduced, and decorations were redone by Trebbi and Bazzani. (Lidia Bortolotti)
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