Teatro Sociale of Castiglione delle Stiviere

The right side of the street of the same name which descends from the castle towards Via Garibaldi is largely occupied by the Teatro Sociale. The building erected in 1841 constituted the extension of Palazzo del Principe, the first building that hosted theatrical performances in Castiglione.
The first draft of the project, by the Castiglione engineers Agricola Botturi and Antonio Piccinelli, was extensively reworked in late neoclassical style by the Milanese architect Luigi Canonica. The layout of the theater hall is strictly horseshoe-shaped, with two tiers of boxes and a loggia, all with a wooden, sculpted, modulated and ornamented structure.
The painter Orsi of the Academy of Venice, the Milanese Ghislandi and Lodigiani collaborated in the creation of the decorations and the curtain depicting Apollo Musagete; the Brescians Dragoni and Guerresi painted graceful figures on the parapets of the boxes as well as the frieze of the splendid ceiling; Zampolli modeled the stuccos and Pogliaghi designed the splendid chandelier which still adorns the stalls today.
Inaugurated in 1843, the splendid theater hosted important opera seasons and high-level prose performances until 1926. After a long period of decline, the Theater became the property of the Municipality which carried out its restoration, reopening it to the public in 1990 Even today, it offers a rich theatrical season.
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