Orchestra's Venues

PERGOLA THEATRE

The Teatro della Pergola is the historic theater of Florence and one of the oldest and richest in history in all of Italy, located along Via della Pergola at even numbers 12 to 30. The Theater has been subject to architectural restrictions since 1943, as it is the "first great example of Italian theatre" and in its qualification "as an episode of fundamental importance for the documentation of the history of Italian and world theatre".

The Teatro della Pergola, sometimes known as just La Pergola, is a historic opera house in Florence, Italy. It is located in the centre of the city on the Via della Pergola, from which the theatre takes its name. It was built in 1656 under the patronage of Cardinal Giancarlo de' Medici to designs by the architect Ferdinando Tacca, son of the sculptor Pietro Tacca; its inaugural production was the opera buffa, Il potestà di Colognole by Jacopo Melani. The opera house, the first to be built with superposed tiers of boxes rather than raked semi-circular seating in the Roman fashion,[2] is considered to be the oldest in Italy, having occupied the same site for more than 350 years.

It has two auditoria, the Sala Grande, with 1,500 seats, and the Saloncino, a former ballroom located upstairs which has been used as a recital hall since 1804 and which seats 400.

Work on completing the interior was finished in 1661, in time for the celebration of the wedding of the future grand duke Cosimo III de' Medici, with the court spectacle Ercole in Tebe by Giovanni Antonio Boretti. Primarily a court theatre used by the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, it was only after 1718 that it was opened to the public. In this theatre the great operas of Mozart were heard for the first time in Italy, and Donizetti's Parisina and Rosmonda d'Inghilterra, Verdi's Macbeth (1847) and Mascagni's I Rantzau were given their premiere productions.

By the nineteenth century, La Pergola was performing operas of the best-known composers of the day including Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti and Giuseppe Verdi. Verdi's Macbeth was given its premiere performance at La Pergola in 1847.

La Pergola's present appearance dates from an 1855–57 remodelling; it has the traditional horseshoe-shaped auditorium with three rings of boxes and topped with a gallery. It seats 1,000. It was declared a national monument in 1925 and has been restored at least twice since.

Today the theatre presents a broad range of about 250 drama performances each year, ranging from Molière to Neil Simon. Opera is only presented there during the annual Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

AUDITORIUM SANTO STEFANO AL PONTE

The church of Santo Stefano al Ponte is a Catholic place of worship located in Florence near the Ponte Vecchio, to which it owes its name. It is located in the small square of the same name, Santo Stefano.

The church is the result of multiple interventions over the centuries. Among these, the seventeenth-century one stands out, which remodeled the interior, creating a highly original architecture of broken lines, devoid of any curve.

BASILICA OF SANTA CROCE

The Basilica of Santa Croce in the square of the same name in Florence is one of the largest Franciscan churches and one of the greatest Gothic achievements in Italy, and has the rank of minor basilica. Santa Croce is a prestigious symbol of Florence, the meeting place of the greatest artists, theologians, religious people, men of letters, humanists and politicians, who determined, through good times and bad, the identity of the late medieval and Renaissance city.

Santa Croce has always played a major role in the religious and civic life of Florence, and over the centuries this importance has drawn artists and patrons driven by religious devotion and civic pride who have made Santa Croce a truly unique hub of faith and art.

The monumental complex today, covering an area of some 12,000m2, comprises several different areas: the basilica proper, the sacristy. the Novitiate with the Medici Chapel, three cloisters, the Pazzi Chapel, the Cenacolo or former refectory and the undercroft. In addition to these areas, it also houses the convent where the Franciscan friars live, the historical archive and some of the offices of the Opera di Santa Croce.

A living heritage

Santa Croce is home to almost 4,000 works of art ranging from the 13th to the 20th centuries, a living heritage if we consider that in most cases the works are still in the original setting for which they were designed and still perform the function for which they were created.

The high altar, for instance, is surrounded by Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes illustrating the Legend of the True Cross, a choice dictated by the church's dedication. The Cross plays a central role in the Christian religion because it symbolises the crucifixion of Christ, the sacrifice that brought salvation to mankind and that lies at the heart of the mass still celebrated on the altar today.

ORSANMICHELE MUSEUM

A well-equipped fortress in the heart of the city, halfway between the place of religious power (Piazza del Duomo) and the place of political power (Piazza della Signoria).

Here monetary policy was carried out, the prices of goods were established, here the representatives of the productive classes met on ritual and commercial occasions. Here the work that made Florence great found its consecration.

BARGELLO MUSEUM

Palazzo del Bargello, also known as Palazzo del Popolo.Its collection of Renaissance statues is considered among the most notable in the world: it includes masterpieces by Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghiberti, Cellini, Giambologna, Ammannati and other important sculptors, as well as a large collection of applied arts, organized mainly by type.

In 2014 it was the twenty-ninth most visited Italian state site.