Teatro Comunale, Ferrara. The Question of the Curve. From the Debate to the Geometric Analysis

The Teatro Comunale was built in Ferrara at the end of the 18th century, at a time when modern theatre was gradually leaving the space of the Duke’s Court and Academy to become part of the urban fabric, shifting from representing the elite to turning towards wider communities. The models of court theatre and public theatre with several levels of boxes coexisted for a long time, until the complete codification of the “teatro all’italiana”, of which the Comunale represents one of the clearest examples. Over time there have been several renovations. However, the plan has never been strongly altered and has come almost intact to this day. This makes the comparison between measured survey and available historical sources particularly significant and interesting. The construction of the Teatro Comunale, which lasted over a decade, started under the papal domination and ended at the time of the Cispadan Republic. Around 1786, at night, the dwellings on the so-called Isola del Cervo were demolished, to start the construction of a first project by Giuseppe Campana. However, the built theatre follows the design by Cosimo Morelli, which includes several oval curves for the shape of other spaces such as the courtyard for carriages and the hall. His design also recalls the neighboring oval church of San Carlo designed by Aleotti. From the written sources we can see that the question over the shape that the curve of the theatre cavea should have followed has been intensely debated. The measured survey of the Ferrara Theatre and the analysis of the actual geo- metrical layout has been carried out in parallel with the studies of these papers. The Biblioteca Ariostea archives contain documents in which the relationship between geometry and functionality is discussed by designers and experts nominated by the City who financed the construction. The Ferrara Theatre was built in the same period as the Milano Teatro alla Scala, so we may assume that this debate extended beyond the borders of the city.