Petruzzelli Theatre

The Petruzzelli Theatre
	To the end of the last century for the requirement of the inhabitants of Bari of new spaces dedicated to the exhibitions, in 1877 was proclaimed a competitive examination for the design of the new Politeama for a premium of 12.000 lire and the grant of the required field. In april 1985 was approved the project presented by 2 brothers building businessmans of Bari, Onofrio and Antonio Petruzzelli. The construction of the building started the 23th of may 1898 ant the Theatrewas opened the 14th of february 1903 with the opera "Gli Ugonotti" of G. Meyerbeer.
Thanks to the prestige and to the importance of his activity, it was declared as theatre particularly important in 1954. In more recent seasons the role of Petruzzelli Theatre has stand out as:
"Multifunctional Center of culture" realized with exhibitions oriented to the diffusion of new artists and new shows more than follow the enjoyments and the guidance of the public, in the firm belief that the interests where not sectorial, but going to extend more than possible. "Center of production of Lyrics" in 1985 the "Ente Artistico Teatro Petruzzelli" founded a proper lyric orchestra constituted quite exclusively by young musicians and teachers cobing by conservatori of the region and making in 1991 the "Associazione Filarmonica Orchestra Teatro Petruzzelli" Ath the end, the Petruzzelli was considered a space for the "Activities of other cultural operators": the growth in quantity and quality and the growing offers of the Petruzzelli theatre in the '80, determined an improvement also in the initiatives of the cultural operators that used the Theatre, pursuing in a clear benefit for the public. The inside of the Theatre wal also used for the scenography and the set of some films of big directors like H. Ross and F. Zeffirelli. In the hundred-year-old activity the theatre has viewed lots of deep transformations in politics, great evolutions in the way of life, of culture and of arts. This hasn't prevented even in the darkest years that the Petruzzelli would represent a place for the encounter of the public of Bari ant the many tendency of the italian culture. In the night of 27th october 1991, a big fire destroyed the Petruzzelli theatre, after that on the stage was represented the tragedy of the pyre of Norma and Pollione.