The wooden theatre in the Palazzo della Pilotta
In the heart of Parma, the Palazzo della Pilotta is an immense, unfinished brick complex built at the end of the sixteenth century by the Farnese dukes, which takes its name from the game of "pelota" played in its courtyards. On its first floor, in the former armoury hall, is hidden one of the most extraordinary theatres in the world: the Teatro Farnese, built in 1618 by the architect Giovan Battista Aleotti at the wish of Duke Ranuccio I Farnese, to celebrate the planned visit of Cosimo II de' Medici, which never took place. The theatre was inaugurated only in 1628, for the wedding of Duke Odoardo Farnese and Margherita de' Medici.
It is made almost entirely of wood, painted to look like marble, with a large U-shaped auditorium of fourteen tiers that could hold about 3,000 spectators, surmounted by a double order of loggias with statues, and a deep stage, one of the first in history to have a fixed proscenium arch and movable scenery. For the most spectacular shows, the central space, the cavea, could even be flooded to stage naval battles. Used only a few times, for great court celebrations, it was severely damaged by a bombing in 1944 and carefully rebuilt. The theatre is the entrance to the Complesso Monumentale della Pilotta, which also includes the Galleria Nazionale, with works by Correggio, Parmigianino and Leonardo da Vinci's "Scapigliata", the Biblioteca Palatina and the Museo Bodoniano, dedicated to the great printer Giambattista Bodoni.
Tip: the ticket for the Pilotta includes the theatre and the Galleria Nazionale; allow at least half a day.
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