Teatrino del Conservatorio del Baraccano

Compared to the landscape of the theaters surveyed, one Baraccano is a case in itself, with very special characteristics. It is not a theater, but a modular structure made of wood and painted canvas that proposes a whole proscenium and stage. The lack of sufficiently documented information does not identify with precision the time of its construction. It was inside the Conservatory Baraccano, Bologna, architectural complex of great historical interest dating back to the fifteenth century. Born as a hospital for pilgrims, after the plague of 1527 was transformed "into a haven for those 'cittelle honest condition of' orphaned by the recent calamity" (cited in Art and .., p. 461). Start from this moment the function of the Conservatory, which secular structure centered on educating and training imparted according to specific work activities inside. "The continuous changes that have characterized the history of the building of the conservatory Baraccano culminated in the radical transformation of work performed on projects Angelo Venturoli between 1812 and 1816. Dated May 4, 1812 In the tables' Plant models four floors of the Conservatory of putte Baraccano , placed in the public street of St. Stephen to object to focus on it more Conservatory hill demonstrations of the various innovations', it has the consistency of the great halls on the first floor used as dormitories. In the place where the theater was located at the time of closure of the Conservatory (1969), shows a transverse wall separating two rooms.'s assume that the placement of the theater, which involved the demolition of this wall can be traced back to the last works of adaptation of the complex carried out in the post unit, at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century "(Paul Nannelli). The structure consists of the parts of the proscenium, canvas, fixed on wooden frames, painted in tempera with ornamental motifs that recall the typical decorations of theaters (musical instruments, masks) and a series of scenes and harlequins connection, of the same material. Everything is arranged to insert scenes and backdrops necessary staging of shows. In 1980, on the occasion of the exhibition "Art and mercy" Baraccano hosted a section titled "Maidens, sisters and mothers." At that time the theater was still mounted in the hall of the dorm. Subsequently removed, it remained to this day in the adjoining room used as a warehouse of furniture and works of art which furnished the number of rooms in the building. The presence of seven backdrops, some of which are painted on both sides, denotes a bustling business of the theater. We find various scenes: the image of buildings along a road leading out of the city, in a landscape with hills and trees, from interior scenes (one rich and one poor furniture), the representation of the typical theatrical curtain color red, to the curious depiction of the Palazzo d'Accursio open field, with no perspective depth. The state of preservation of the theater suffer from a lack of maintenance and long tenure of its parts (disassembled) in the store where he remained until today. An initial cleaning and consolidation of the most fragile places the premise to a neighbor, desirable restoration of the structure and its stage design and decoration. (Louise Masetti Bitelli)