European Route of Historic Theatres

The European Route of Historic Theatres is a holiday route and European Cultural Route, that runs through many European countries. It links cities with important historic theatres from the 16th to 19th centuries.

This cultural route was initiated by the members of the organisation, Perspectiv – Association of Historic Theatres in Europe, which was founded in October 2003 with the aim of preserving the cultural heritage of historic theatres in Europe. The head offices of this charitable association are in the Goethe town of Bad Lauchstädt and city of Berlin. The project is supported by the Culture programme of the European Union.

The European Route of Historic Theatres originally consisted of five individually named routes: the German Route, the Nordic Route, The Channel Route, the Italian Route and the Emperor Route. Each links between 9 and 12 towns and cities with important theatre traditions. Cultural tourists can travel directly from the start or finish of any route to another nearby route. In 2014, two more routes were added: the French and Adriatic Routes. Other routes planned are: the Baltic and Iberian Routes (2015); and the Alpine and Black Sea Routes (2016).

Routes

Nordic Route
The auditorium and stage in the Confidencen (2011)

German Route
Stage of the Ekhof Theatre
Meiningen Theatre Museum, setting: The Winter’s Tale

Channel Route
The Royal Opera House (1808 Illustration)
  • Chimay (Belgium) – Théâtre du château, built 1861 to 1863 by French architect and stage designer, Charles-Antoine Cambon (1802–1875), based on the first palace theatre at Fontainebleau. → linke to the German Route via Koblenz.
  • Ghent (Belgium) – Opera, opened in 1840 as a luxurious opera house financed by industrialists.
  • Brussels (Belgium) – Théâtre Royal du Parc, built in 1782 in the English style as an extension of a vauxhall, a pleasure garden with a café. It was erected in the open at the side of the park. Its architect was Louis Montoyer.
  • Leiden (Netherlands – Schouwburg, one of the first public theatres in Holland, built in 1705 by actor, Jacob van Rijndorp, and expanded in 1865 by architect, Jan Willem Schaap.
  • Bury St Edmunds (England) – the Theatre Royal, built in 1819 by the architect William Wilkins as a Neoclassicist theatre in the Regency style.
  • London (England) – The 1732 Theatre Royal and present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane; the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden was converted in 1848 into an opera house, the building dates to 1858; Royal Drury Lane opened in 1663, the present theatre dates to 1812, and the auditorium to 1922.
  • Craig-y-Nos (Wales) – Adelina Patti Theatre, the soprano, Adelina Patti, had her private theatre built in 1891 by architects, Bucknall & Jennings.
  • Nottingham (England) – The Malt Cross, a historic theatre and music hall, today a cafe and bar that holds cultural events.
  • Richmond (England) – Georgian Theatre Royal, municipal theatre and theatre museum, opened in 1788, closed in 1848 and re-opened in 1963, best preserved theatre from the Georgian period.

Italian Route
Auditorium of the Teatro Farnese
  • Vicenza – 1580 to 1585 built Teatro Olimpico, the first covered theatre in the Modern Period in Europe, architect: Andrea Palladio, → link to the Emperor Route (from 2011).
  • Sabbioneta – first free-standing theatre of the Modern Era, Teatro all'antica, built from 1588 to 1590 by architect, Vincenzo Scamozzi based on the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.
  • Parma – Teatro Farnese on the Palazzo della Pilotta, built 1617/18 by Giovanni Battista Aleotti.
  • Mantua – the "scientific theatre", Teatro Scientifico, built from 1767 to 1769 for the Accademia degli Invaghiti to plans by Antonio Galli da Bibiena.
  • Carpi – municipal theatre, built in 1861, typical Italian box seat theatre (Logentheater).
  • Bologna – municipal theatre, was opened on 14 May 1763 based on the altered plans of architect, Antonio Galli da Bibiena.
  • Bologna – Theatre of the Villa Aldrovandi Mazzacorati, small theatre in a villa surviving in its original state, opened on 24. September 1763.
  • San Giovanni in Persiceto – municipal theatre. In 1626 a hall was built as a theatre. In 1659 it was converted to a theatre with box seats, in 1790 it was replaced by an auditorium by architect, Giuseppe Tubertini.
  • Faenza – municipal theatre Masini, in an internal court of the Piazza del Popolo, built in 1788 by architect, Giuseppe Pistocchi.
  • Cesena – Teatro Alessandro Bonci, Neoclassicist building, built between 1843 and 1846 to plans by architect, Vincenzo Ghinelli.

Emperor Route

The Emperor Route was established in 2013 and runs through the Czech Republic (especially Bohemia) and Austria. These two countries were ruled by the emperors from the Habsburg dynasty until 1918, hence the name of this route.[1]

Graz Opera House, galleries
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References
  1. "Kapitel: Die European Route". perspectiv-online.org.
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