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of Ravenna

Halfway between the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and the MAR – Ravenna Art Museum is one of the two historical theatres of Ravenna.

Housed inside an ancient medieval church dating back to the 13th century AD, the LUIGI RASI THEATRE is today a very lively cultural place, and is at the core of most of the activities of the programme curated by Ravenna Teatro (see focus), as well as of different kinds of festivals and workshops related to prose and contemporary expression.

Previously a church, then a theatre…

This theatre was originally a monastic church dedicated to Saint Clare, built in 1255 next to the convent of the Poor Clares on behalf of the noblewoman Chiara da Polenta and on the remains of a former religious building known as Church of Santo Stefano in Fundamento.

Rebuilt in the 18th century on a design by architect Camillo Morigia, in 1805 the church was deconsecrated after the Napoleonic looting of art.

At first, it became a riding school, then, at the end of the 19th century (1874) it was converted into a theatre, as Accademia Filodrammatica requested the concession of the building.

The new theatre was inaugurated in 1892 and dedicated to the famous actor and playwright from Ravenna Luigi Rasi in 1919. We owe great works to him, such as the transcription of Aristophanes’ Pluto and Sophocles’ Antigone

Closed in 1959 for restoration works, the theatre reopened in the ’70s.

Since 1991, the theatre has been the headquarters of Ravenna Teatro, founded by the companies Teatro delle Albe and Drammatico Vegetale.

A step back in time

The only elements of the old church of Santa Chiara still remaining today are the facade (partly a result of an intervention carried out later) – the entrance of the theatre – and the stage, obtained from the apse. The latter once housed precious frescoes, which were then removed and restored and are visible today in the Ravenna National Museum.

The frescoes depict the histories of the Salvation and Exhaltation of the Cross, and were realised by Pietro da Rimini, very productive artist of Giotto’s school.

CONTACTS

FOCUS

Contemporary theatre in Ravenna

The places of contemporary theatre in Ravenna are many and different from each other. Every year, they host local and national productions meeting various expressive needs that characterise the language of the theatre.

The Luigi Rasi theatre, directly managed by the Ravenna Teatro group, hosts theatre, cinema, music and editorial productions. It also hosts art residencies, workshops, meetings, exhibitions in collaboration with local and national partners.

But there are also other noteworthy places in the city, starting from the Alighieri Theatre, the place of cultural tradition par excellence. These are complemented by the multidisciplinary complex Artificerie Almagià in the area of the Darsena, the studio VulKano in San Bartolo (Ravenna), Teatro Socjale in Piangipane, the multicultural Space Cisim in Lido Adriano and the Ardis Hall in the area of the Bassette.

Further information

Opening times

Opening hours depend on shows and events organised in the theatre. For more information: www.ravennateatro.com

Accessibility

The theatre is accessible to all people with physical disabilities.

How to get there

The theatre is located in the historical centre of the city, outside the Limited Traffic Zone.

By bus: many bus routes stop near the theatre. For more information on bus routes: www.startromagna.it

By car: there are many paid parking lots in the area of via di Roma, both along the streets and in larger parking areas, such as Piazzale Segurini. For more information on parking areas click HERE.

On foot: the railway station is located 750 metres (a 9-minute walk) away.

A cura della Redazione Locale
E-mail: turismo@comune.ravenna.it

Last edit:12 April 2022

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