Nel 1821, on behalf of Duchess Maria Luigia, Nicola Bettoli began the construction of the New Ducal Theatre in the area of the Convent of St. Alessandro. The theatre was completed in 1828 and inaugurated on May 16, 1829 with the opera Zaira composed for the occasion by Vincenzo Bellini.
The theatre, later named Regio, still represents a significant example of the numerous and impressive public works carried out by the Duchess. It arose in the heart of the city, structured in a central body and two side wings connected to the Ducal Palace and the Church of St. Alessandro, thus becoming a place of reference and gathering in the life of the city itself, as stated by G.B. Niccolosi, for whom “no less than the scenic shows should the theatrical architecture adapt to the times and customs” (G. B. Niccolosi, 1829, p. 10). The neoclassical façade features a portico with Ionic columns topped by two bands. In the first there are five pedimented windows corresponding to the intercolumniations below, in the second a large thermal window flanked by two elegant images of Fame in flight, bas-reliefs by Tommaso Bandinelli, as well as decoration with a lyre and masks that modulate the pediment crowning the building. The two lateral bodies are set back and resolved in two orders only.
The square vestibule of the theatre features a coffered ceiling supported by Ionic columns and introduces the horseshoe-shaped stalls with four tiers of boxes, each equipped with its own dressing rooms, and a gallery. The stage is large and well equipped, particularly elegant is the lounge covered by a vault painted by G. B. Azzi, who depicted Harmony with bacchantes and cupids, complemented by stuccoes and ornaments by P. Piazza, G. Smit, G. Gelati, T. Bandini, and C. Rusca. On the walls are the fake bas-reliefs of mythological subjects by S. Campana. Originally the hall had a refined neoclassical decoration, as documented by Toschi’s engravings. Each tier of boxes had different stucco decorations: at the bottom were lined military trophies, then the story of Psyche, medallions with portraits of poets, garlands of flowers and fruits. The proscenium boxes were more richly decorated with images of Fame supporting acanthus trophies and portraits of illustrious men; in the archway a light clock was placed between the attributes of Phoebus and Minerva.
The transformation of the hall began, by order of Charles III of Bourbon, in 1853; architects Luigi Montecchi and Luigi Bettoli and scenographer Girolamo Magnani, appointed that year as painter and director of the theatre, worked on it.
The neoclassical ornaments of the hall were replaced with richer and more lavish ones, and in the ceiling, already painted by Giovan Battista Borghesi, who had depicted the protagonists of the ancient and modern stage flying over a starry sky background, a purple band and a frieze with gilded frames were inserted. The beautiful curtain by Giovan Battista Borghesi, still existing, representing the triumph of Pallas, remained intact. After electrification, introduced in 1907, and the creation of the mystic gulf in 1926, the theatre underwent no substantial modifications until 1983, the year when the necessary restoration and conservative rehabilitation works began, carried out “with the theatre open”, that is, without interrupting activities, throughout the nineties.
The overall project, developed by the Municipal Technical Office, realized, in successive phases, the structural consolidations of the walls, vaults, and roofs; the renovation of the old stage designers’ room and the spaces of the stage tower; the restoration of the boxes, balconies, foyer, and smoking room. Other interventions concerned the recovery of spaces for artists and staff, as well as the upgrading of safety systems.
