Il Teatro Grande Barberini. L’ausilio dei modelli per lo studio e la rappresentazione degli spazi teatrali scomparsi

In Italy, towards the end of the 16th century, theatrical tradition began to solidify within permanent structures specifically designed and built in accordance with classical models, which were gradually adapted and replaced by the distinctively Italian-style theatre. In Rome, the Barberini family, particularly influential during the first half of the 17th century, played a significant role in shaping the evolution of musical, dramatic, and dramaturgical culture. Notable figures of the time contributed to this cultural growth, including Giulio Rospigliosi, a distinguished Baroque librettist, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who was active not only as a sculptor and stage designer but also as an actor and playwright. In the 1640s, the Barberini family financed the construction of Rome's first permanent theatre, the Teatro Grande, located adjacent to their city residence. Today, only a few remnants of this theatre remain, such as the entrance portal designed by Pietro da Cortona and a handful of documents that offer glimpses of its form and function. By systematising and comparing various models—textual, graphic, and photographic—that depict partial aspects of the theatre, and by integrating them with a survey of its surviving elements, this study aims to deepen our understanding of this architectural structure. Through the creation of a digital model synthesising and visualising these reconstructive hypotheses, the research seeks to contribute to the preservation and appreciation of the heritage of disappeared theatres.