Visited in 2022
Duration of visit : 2,5 hours
Teatro Balconi
This is presumably Italy’s most famous abandoned theatre. The beautifully decorated interior with red private viewing boxes and the slowly collapsing balcony make this a popular destination among urban explorers.
The challenge is to get in unseen and the only possible way in requires sneaking around and some sketchy climbing. But once you enter the theatre, you know it was all worth it.
This historical theatre, built in the mid-19th century, is a beautiful piece of art. It offered room for over 300 spectators; on both sides of the stage there were VIP-boxes for the wealthy visitors who wanted the best view. Next to the VIP-boxes there were three layers of private boxes and opposite of the stage there was a balcony which offered space for about 50 spectators. All kinds of performances were played here; operas, concerts, theatre shows, comedies and much more.
In the late 19th century the theatre was renovated and in the 1930’s again, now adding 50 extra seats for visitors. The opening of a cinema in the city drastically lowered the number of ticket sales and eventually lead to the closure of the theatre. Around the 1980’s the roof collapsed due to bad weather conditions. A few years ago, the city finally provided some funds in effort to save the theatre by putting on a new roof and installing some beams to hold the structure together.
