Tsunami

Japan / USA / Europe - 18-Feb-22 -

I just noticed that this was a new nomination from Italy in 2021: Historical 62 theatres in the Marche Region. Yes, I've been to 1 of the 62 theaters! 

In 2012 when I visited Urbino, I saw Teatro Sanzio. In fact this theater is in the core zone of the Urbino WHS, right by Palazzo Ducale. The name Sanzio comes of course from Urbino's most famous son, painter Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino. 

Now, that was 2012, and I couldn't have put this theatre in the context with the other 61 theaters. It must be that Italy believes that these 62 theaters have something in common that is World Heritage worthy. 

The nomination document says things like: "the synergy that can establish with the historical centres, where they often are the hard core"; "The close identity relationship that binds them to local communities."  I also like the sentence: "The theatre, both in the form of an independent building and as a space hosted in the municipal building, became the paradigm of an era, the symbol of a society's cultural self-identification." Perhaps the role of theaters was similar to that of churches. Church to the religion, theater to the arts.  

In the photo the large building in the background is the Palazzo Ducale. In front of it in the center is Teatro Sanzio, seen from the back. The round structure connected at the back of the theater is another interesting historical landmark in Urbino, Rampa Elicoidale. 

Within the next several years I anticipate to see another one of the 62 theaters, Teatro Rossini in Pesaro. This theater is where the annual Rossini Opera Festival takes place, as Pesaro is where Gioachino Rossini was born.  His name is even mentioned under Criterion 6 in the nomination document. I have been waiting for the festival's next staging of Rossini's "La Gazza Ladra." They stage it every several years, and the last time was 2015, so it should be restaged soon. At that time I should be able to compare Teatro Sanzio with Teatro Rossini. The comic opera would be a tragedy if the venue changes. 

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