Teatro Nazionale

An intimate journey into Florence’s theatrical soul

In the densest and most ancient heart of Florence, between Via dei Cimatori and Via dei Cerchi, just steps from Piazza della Signoria, the Teatro Nazionale today reopens its doors to the city through the restoration of a delicate, introverted architecture, rich with memory and recollection. For centuries, its walls – occupying an entire city block behind the ‘canto’ of Quarconia – have preserved both the popular and cultivated voice of the city, hosting performances, celebrations, and gatherings, and giving birth to Stenterello, the witty and ironic mask that shaped the identity of Florentine theatre. In this intimate place, originally known as the ‘Teatro della Quarconia,’ then the ‘Teatro del Giglio’, later the ‘Teatro Leopoldo,’ and fi nally the ‘Teatro Nazionale,’ the city seems to have held its breath for decades. For more than thirty years the theatre lay in silence, wounded and forgotten. The roof threatened collapse, the interiors were invaded by pigeon droppings, and the wooden elements were warped by time and humidity. In one of the most precious areas of the historic centre, a fragment of Florence’s civic soul seemed lost. Restoring it to life means reweaving an interrupted dialogue between the city and its own voice. To celebrate this moment, a book has also been produced, off ering the city a complete account of the Teatro Nazionale’s rebirth.