In 1545 Sebastiano Serlio published his Trattato di architettura, a work that concentrated on the practical stage of the time. An excerpt from the Encyclopedia Britannica by authors George C. Izenour, Howard Bay, and Clive Barker sums up the principles of this major treatise.
Serlio’s treatise on the theatre had three especially significant items. The first was a plan for an auditorium and stage that assumed a rectangular hall, with spectators arranged in the same pattern as in the Roman cavea (i.e., the tiered semicircular seating area of a Roman theatre), the difference being that the semicircle of the audience was cut short by the sidewalls. Second, his three types of stage designs—tragic, comic, and satiric—were the same as Vitruvius’ classifications. Third, for the stage, he started with a Roman acting platform, but instead of the scaenae frons, he introduced a raked platform, slanted upward toward the rear, on which the perspective setting of a street was made up of painted canvases and three-dimensional houses. Since the perspective required that the houses rapidly diminish in size with distance, the actors were able to use only the front houses. Serlio used three types of scenes, all with the same basic floor plan. Each required four sets of wings (i.e., the pieces of scenery at the side of the stage), the first three angled and the fourth flat, and a perspective backdrop.
"The Accademia Olimpica in the little town of Vicenza, near Venice, commissioned a famous late Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio, to design a theatre. This, the Teatro Olimpico, was the first permanent modern indoor theatre, and it has survived intact. Palladio thoroughly researched his subject (the outdoor classical theatre of Rome) and without knowing it designed something now considered very close to a Roman odeum. It is a scaled-down version of an outdoor Roman theatre, with a shallow open stage and a heavily sculptured, pedimented, permanent background. A colonnade of heroic proportions, surmounted by sculptured figures, surrounds a steeply stepped bank of seating. Overhead is a painted sky. To promote an intimate stage–auditorium relationship, he used a flattened ellipse in planning the seating, rather than the classic half circle.
Palladio's dedication to historical accuracy and innovation is evident in every corner of the Teatro Olimpico. The interior was intended to be lit by tallow candles mounted in wall sconces, adding a touch of period authenticity. Palladio died before the building was finished, and his follower Vincenzo Scamozzi completed the work in 1585. Scamozzi introduced static, three-dimensional vistas of streets receding to their separate vanishing points behind the five stage entrances, though it is not certain if this was Palladio’s original intent.
When it comes to performance efficiency, the theatre excels, especially if the auditorium is full. Speech carries well due to the small volume, flat ceiling, modulated sidewalls, excellent vertical sight lines, and direct hearing lines from all seats to the stage. This thoughtful design ensures that every audience member experiences the performance vividly.
Interestingly, the exterior of the Teatro Olimpico contrasts sharply with its intricate interior. It stands as an ungainly, masonry-walled structure topped with a wood-trussed, tiled roof. This juxtaposition between the simple exterior and the sophisticated interior design further underscores the innovative spirit of Palladio’s work."
In 1588–89 Scamozzi designed the Teatro all’Antica, a small court theatre for the Gonzaga family at Sabbioneta. Unlike the Teatro Olimpico, the stage here is a single architectural vista behind a shallow-raked open platform, after the manner of the stage illustrated by Sebastiano Serlio. At Sabbioneta, a divided horseshoe-shaped bank of seating leaves an empty arena, at floor level, in front of the stage. This space, backed by the permanent bank of seating, can be used for additional seating, but it also accommodates other uses and paves the way for the most famous and influential of all Renaissance theatre buildings, the Teatro Farnese.
Key Design Elements Introduced
Single Architectural Vista: Scamozzi’s design features a singular architectural vista, differentiating it from the multiple perspectives of the Teatro Olimpico. This concept is inspired by the stage illustrations of Sebastiano Serlio.
Divided Horseshoe Seating: The seating arrangement forms a divided horseshoe shape, which creates an empty arena at floor level in front of the stage. This design offers flexibility, allowing the space to be used for additional seating or other functions.
Multifunctional Space: The empty arena in front of the stage can serve multiple purposes, making the theatre adaptable to various types of performances and events.
By incorporating these innovative design elements, Scamozzi's Teatro all’Antica at Sabbioneta not only stands out for its unique architectural features but also sets a precedent for future theatre designs, culminating in the renowned Teatro Farnese.
The Teatro Farnese lies about 12 miles west of Sabbioneta at Parma, in a palace of the Farnese family. The theatre, designed by Giovanni Battista Aleotti and built in 1618 (but not used until 1628, to celebrate the marriage of a Medici daughter to a Farnese son), was the first proscenium theatre to be designed for movable scenery and is the earliest large-scale indoor theatrical facility to have survived.
It was severely damaged by fire bombing in World War II but has since been restored to its former glory. There has also survived an extensive catalog giving details of events held there, including some contemporary comment on performances. The catalog describes the variety of uses to which the theatre was put: drama, opera, and ballet were performed on stage; equestrian acts and sumptuous balls were held in the spacious arena between stage and seating, which could also be flooded to a depth of two feet and used for mock naval battles. Additionally, the theatre accommodated such court ceremonies as ambassadorial receptions, proclamations of state, and princely extravaganzas.
The Teatro Farnese has windows (as did the Teatro Olimpico and the Teatro all’Antica at Sabbioneta before it) behind and above the banked seating, which helped to illuminate the space during daytime use. Tallow candles or animal-fat lamps, in wall and overhead fixtures, were the only source of nighttime illumination for this and all interior theatres until the introduction of gas lighting in the 19th century. The Teatro Farnese set the style for stage and auditorium design over the next 250 years, with the exception of the courtyard-patio (corrales) theatre in Spain and the Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre of England.
An extensive catalog has survived, providing a detailed account of the various events held there. These records include contemporary comments on performances, shedding light on the theatre's vibrant cultural life. The catalog describes the multitude of uses for the theatre:
Drama, Opera, and Ballet: These performances were staples on the stage.
Equestrian Acts and Balls: The spacious arena between the stage and seating was not only used for performances but also for grand balls.
Mock Naval Battles: Ingeniously, the arena could be flooded to a depth of two feet for these spectacles.
Court Ceremonies: Ambassadorial receptions, state proclamations, and princely extravaganzas added to the theatre's grandeur.
Moreover, the Teatro Farnese's architectural innovations included windows behind and above the seating to provide natural light during the day. At night, tallow candles or animal-fat lamps were used until gas lighting was introduced in the 19th century. This ingenious design influenced theatre architecture for the next 250 years, setting a standard for stage and auditorium layouts, with the notable exceptions of Spanish courtyard-patio theatres and the Elizabethan and Jacobean theatres in England.
