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« Back in Rome, marveling over American dining | Main | Imitation Italian in an American supermarket » January 16, 2006The smallest theater in the world
Italy’s region of Umbria is famed for its green rolling hills, unsalted bread and its artistic and architectural treasures. Many tourists head to Perugia for the chocolate festival or to Assisi to visit the monastery of the Catholic Saint Francis. Others may day-trip to the well-established hill town of Todi in the heart of Umbria, but just a 15-minute drive north sits a town that is often overlooked.
After parking outside the center of town, I spent the first 20 minutes meandering the medieval streets -- not just because I was lost but to enjoy the stone walkways and buildings as well. Stopping in a local coffee shop for directions to the un-signposted theater, I knew I had to be in the right place since the sugar packets sported advertisements for the theater. "Take this street here, then right, then a left," the barista explained, waving her hand in such a way that it contradicted everything she said. I roughly followed the directions, but after a few minutes I was positive that I was lost as there was not a soul in sight. As I was on the verge of losing hope, an old man rounded the corner and again I asked for directions. He gestured to the building in front of us. "That's the back of it there," he said in thick dialect. I squinted at the boarded-up doors. "Here?" "Yes, yes. That’s the stage door where they used to bring in the horses," he explained, "but that was over a hundred years ago."
In 1951, the theater was closed due to safety regulations. It sat untouched for 30 years, until 1981 when the descendants of the original families left it to the town. The Comunita Economica Europea (CEE), an organization that gives money to restore public property, began fixing it up. In 1993 the theater was reopened and is still in business today. The Teatro della Concordia had its doors open and offers free tours (in Italian) in the afternoons. Performance schedules and information about their packaged weekends can be seen at www.teatropiccolo.it
Posted by Kelsea CommentsHey there, I have been browsing through travel blogs and posting about a site I just launched called abroadster(www.abroadster.com) a social networking site for students studying, working, and living abroad. Having done a term myself I thought it would be useful to have a place to go to find others studying in my city and exchange useful information. Thought you might find it useful. We just went live on Monday so are trying to get the word out. Log on and spread the good word. Have fun over there! Celeste Posted by: Celeste at January 18, 2006 4:30 PM Hi, I was delighted to find your write up of Monte Castello, but as a resident of this thriving community, I'm not sure I like the inference of ghost town! Apart from the Teatro, of which you gave a fine description, there is plenty more happening here. We have a very active "ProLoco" (planning committee) which organises a variety of events for us through the year, ranging from visits to exhibitions, lecture series and cake making competitions, and inviting 18 Ferraris to visit us last summer. An old tradition of various contradas (parts of the town) having a chariot race (box car derby to your American readers) with full costume procession, has recently been revived for July, and was a howling success last year. We also had a medieval festa last year, in full costume, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Weddings have always been a popular event here, in the main church (there are 3) or in the Teatro, with the possibility of a reception in the piazza, with its stunning views looking across to Todi. We are also in the middle of planning the first Music Festival here, starting this year with July 27-30, with just 3 outdoor orchestral concerts with international soloists and, hopefully, expanding next year to a 10 day programme with workshops. There is of course a regular theatre series of music and drama, and, in the summer, the proloco organises other outdoor concerts and supper parties.There is also an International Art School here for 4 months of the summer, with visiting professors from New York, Chicago, and Jerusalem, to mention only a few. Monte Castello is situated near Todi, 422 m above sea level, a beautiful medieval roccaforte with delightful streets and alleyways. It is a vibrant community with a delightful mix of Italian and international projects, which makes it a unique place to visit, and makes those lucky enough to live here, feel especially fortunate. I hope that you will find the enclosed information interesting and perhaps the web addresses below will also be useful. www.giotto.org International School of Painting Drawing and Sculpture in Umbria Italy I hope that this will give you and your readers a fuller idea of the delights of Monte Castello P.S. In giving you directions to the Teatro, Rita could have waved her hands in any direction, (except to point you to falling over the wall at the far end of the piazza!) and you would arrive at the Teatro. It is sign posted at the entrance to the Centro Storico, but from piazza Vitt. Emmanuele, (the piazza with the bar) if you exit Left, you go through Pz. Garibaldi and turn left at the pharmacy, then right and you're there. Had you exited Right from Pz Vitt Emmanuele, you would have walked along Via Mazzini and come to the same pharmacy, from the other side, so turn right and then right again, and you're there. You can't go wrong in Monte Castello! Posted by: Sarah Wager at March 25, 2006 7:56 AM Interesting; I should point out though that the CEE (or the EU, as it is known in English today) was and is a bit more than a "an organization that gives money to restore public property". Posted by: Maarten at April 9, 2006 7:33 PM |
Built in 1808, Teatro della Concordia is the smallest classical-style theater in the world. After the French Revolution, the popular mindset was of "concordia tra i popoli (concordance between the populations)," and thus the name of the theater came to be. It was built by the nine major families of the town who wanted a social center. Since the town was (and still is) so small, they saw no need for a big hall, so proceeded to build a small one. The theater has a total of 99 seats -- 37 on the floor and 62 in the two tiers of box seats. The boxes are painted with the names and shields of the families, and the upstairs lobby frescos were painted by the 15-year-old son of the original artist.
Kelsea Brennan-Wessels is a sophomore at The American University of Rome |
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Comments
Hey there,
I have been browsing through travel blogs and posting about a site I just launched called abroadster(www.abroadster.com) a social networking site for students studying, working, and living abroad. Having done a term myself I thought it would be useful to have a place to go to find others studying in my city and exchange useful information. Thought you might find it useful. We just went live on Monday so are trying to get the word out. Log on and spread the good word. Have fun over there!
Celeste
Posted by: Celeste | January 18, 2006 4:30 PM
Hi,
I was delighted to find your write up of Monte Castello, but as a resident of this thriving community, I'm not sure I like the inference of ghost town! Apart from the Teatro, of which you gave a fine description, there is plenty more happening here. We have a very active "ProLoco" (planning committee) which organises a variety of events for us through the year, ranging from visits to exhibitions, lecture series and cake making competitions, and inviting 18 Ferraris to visit us last summer. An old tradition of various contradas (parts of the town) having a chariot race (box car derby to your American readers) with full costume procession, has recently been revived for July, and was a howling success last year. We also had a medieval festa last year, in full costume, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Weddings have always been a popular event here, in the main church (there are 3) or in the Teatro, with the possibility of a reception in the piazza, with its stunning views looking across to Todi. We are also in the middle of planning the first Music Festival here, starting this year with July 27-30, with just 3 outdoor orchestral concerts with international soloists and, hopefully, expanding next year to a 10 day programme with workshops. There is of course a regular theatre series of music and drama, and, in the summer, the proloco organises other outdoor concerts and supper parties.There is also an International Art School here for 4 months of the summer, with visiting professors from New York, Chicago, and Jerusalem, to mention only a few.
Monte Castello is situated near Todi, 422 m above sea level, a beautiful medieval roccaforte with delightful streets and alleyways. It is a vibrant community with a delightful mix of Italian and international projects, which makes it a unique place to visit, and makes those lucky enough to live here, feel especially fortunate. I hope that you will find the enclosed information interesting and perhaps the web addresses below will also be useful.
www.giotto.org International School of Painting Drawing and Sculpture in Umbria Italy
www.umbrianmedievaldreams.com Medieval weddings
http://www.relaisilcastello.it/ Hotel Relais il Castello
http://www.teatropiccolo.it/ Teatro della Concordia
http://www.comune.montecastellodivibio.pg.it/ Monte Castello di Vibio
(Web site for music festival in progress)
I hope that this will give you and your readers a fuller idea of the delights of Monte Castello
Yours sincerely,
Sarah A Wager.
P.S. In giving you directions to the Teatro, Rita could have waved her hands in any direction, (except to point you to falling over the wall at the far end of the piazza!) and you would arrive at the Teatro. It is sign posted at the entrance to the Centro Storico, but from piazza Vitt. Emmanuele, (the piazza with the bar) if you exit Left, you go through Pz. Garibaldi and turn left at the pharmacy, then right and you're there. Had you exited Right from Pz Vitt Emmanuele, you would have walked along Via Mazzini and come to the same pharmacy, from the other side, so turn right and then right again, and you're there. You can't go wrong in Monte Castello!
Posted by: Sarah Wager | March 25, 2006 7:56 AM
Interesting; I should point out though that the CEE (or the EU, as it is known in English today) was and is a bit more than a "an organization that gives money to restore public property".
Posted by: Maarten | April 9, 2006 7:33 PM