The Teatro dei Rozzi is a live-performance theater located on Piazza Indipendenza #15, in the city of

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

, region of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, Italy; while this structure was inaugurated in 1817, the sponsoring organization dated to 1531.

History

In 1531, a group of artisans created the ''Congregation of Rozzi'' dedicated to mainly oral performances of secular poetry, often during festivals. At this "academy", intellectuals and literati of the town attempted to refine the more popular forms of theater into more sophisticated art. By some it was called the ''Academy of the Uncouth'' for its avoidance of Latin texts. The group took on an emblem and symbol, the cork tree which draws from the ground. It is said among those attending performances were

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political an ...

and

Holy Roman Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fro ...

During the middle decades of the 17th century, the Rozzi specialized in readings of pastoral drama, while later in the 17th century, it was occupied with the satirical comedies by

Girolamo Gigli Girolamo Gigli (or ''Gerolamo''; 14 October 1660 – 4 January 1722) was an Italian writer and playwright. Biography Born in Siena to the Nenci family, he was adopted by an uncle, from whom he took the surname, Gigli. He married young to Laurenzi ...

(1660-1722) and the comedies of character by Jacopo Angelo Nelli (1673-1767), and works of Pietro Fortini. The congregation was transformed into the ''Academy of the Rozzi'' in 1690, to which Francesco de' Medici, granted use of rooms in the

Palazzo Pubblico of Siena The Palazzo Pubblico (''town hall'') is a palace in Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. Construction began in 1297 to serve as the seat of the Republic of Siena's government, which consisted of the Podestà and Council of Nine, the elected officia ...

. During the 18th and 19th centuries it became a more prestigious cultural institution in town, fostering a number of dramatists, including Benvenuto Flori, Agostino Gallini, and Girolamo Ronconi. The Accademia dei Rozzi established to build a theater in 1807, designed by Alessandro Doveri. The project was forsaken because it took from the Academies meeting rooms. A new locale, the present one, was obtained leading to construction of this theater in 1815 by the same architect using a different design. The Theater hall was inaugurated in 1817, with the musical play ''L'Agnese di Fitzenry'' by

Ferdinando Paer Ferdinando Paer (1 July 1771 – 3 May 1839) was an Italian composer known for his operas. He was of Austrian descent and used the German spelling Pär in application for printing in Venice, and later in France the spelling Paër. Life and career ...

. In 1873, the architect Corbi remodeled the theater, which remained open until 1945, when damage from the Second World War caused it to close. It was later refurbished again and reopened to the public in 1998, as a theater with 499 seats, three rows of boxes and a gallery open houses and theatrical activities, music and conferences. The ''Accademia dei 'Rozzi still maintains a library and archive of it past works and functions.Barbara Maria Affolter (2006).

References

External links

{{official website, http://www.accademiadeirozzi.it/ Theatres in Tuscany Theatres completed in 1817 1513 establishments in Italy Buildings and structures in Siena 19th-century architecture in Italy