REGIO THEATRE

The Regio Theatre of Parma, originally named Nuovo Teatro Ducale, was commissioned by Duchess Maria Luigia of Austria, wife of Napoleon, with the intention of providing Parma with a prestigious theater after the Congress of Vienna. The works, entrusted to court architect Nicola Bettoli, lasted from 1821 to 1829 and culminated in the inauguration on May 16, 1829, with the opera Zaira by Vincenzo Bellini.

A masterpiece of neoclassical style, the façade of the Regio Theatre is distinguished by its Ionic colonnade and large thermal window. Inside, the path leads to the Foyer and the Sala del Ridotto, where Maria Luigia’s throne once stood, decorated with frescoes and blown-glass chandeliers. The heart of the building is the elliptical hall, with stalls, four tiers of boxes, and a gallery, surmounted by the ceiling frescoed by Giovan Battista Borghesi and dominated by the majestic gilded bronze chandelier. Also by Borghesi is the painted curtain, a rare allegory of Wisdom in which Maria Luigia appears in the guise of Minerva.

Over time, the hall underwent transformations: in 1853 Girolamo Magnani replaced the neoclassical decorations with stuccoes and gilding in Neo-Renaissance style, while in the same year the new chandelier introduced gas lighting, later replaced by electricity in 1890. The acoustic chamber painted by Giuseppe Carmignani, still preserved today, is a rare example of 19th-century theater technology.

Since its inauguration, the theater has hosted not only opera but also dance, poetry, variety arts, and scientific demonstrations, becoming a key venue in the evolution of Italian musical theater, from the Rossini repertoire to Verdi, and later to Mascagni, Leoncavallo, and Puccini.

Today, the Regio Theatre hosts the renowned Festival Verdi, the annual autumn event dedicated to the composer from Parma, and also develops opera and concert seasons, as well as educational projects such as Regio Young and the Accademia Verdiana (recognized by the Emilia-Romagna Region).

Guided tours (approximately 30 minutes) allow visitors to explore the Foyer, the Hall, the Ridotto, the stage, and the costume workshop. Tours are available in Italian and English, and the theater offers full accessibility with no architectural barriers.

The theater is open from Tuesday to Saturday (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and on Sunday (10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
Closed on Mondays.

For more information and bookings, please contact:
– Tel. 0521 203995
– E-mail: visitareilregio@teatroregioparma.it
– Website: https://www.teatroregioparma.it/en/visit-the-teatro-regio/