Teatro dei Differenti - Barga - Tuscany

The Teatro dei Differenti is a theater in Barga, in the province of Lucca.

Little is known about the first theater built, presumably on an oval plan with three tiered boxes, by the Accademia dei Differenti, founded in 1668 with the aim of increasing the passion for theater as a means of entertainment and cultural upliftment.

After a century, this theatre, which no longer met the increased needs of the people of Barga, was thoroughly renovated (1792).

Although the exterior does not show the characteristics of theater architecture (the facade is marked by the marble plaque commemorating the famous civic oration La Grande Proletaria si è mossa, held here on November 26, 1911 by Giovanni Pascoli) and is defined by the steep slope of the site on which it stands, which explains some anomalies in the planimetric articulation, the theater has the typical characteristics of an Italian-style theater and is a small jewel, also in terms of acoustics.

After the theater was closed in 1982 as it was declared unfit for use for safety reasons, the Barga Municipal Council acquired ownership of the theater and began renovation and modification work in 1985.

Today, the Teatro dei Differenti can continue an important cultural tradition that, in recent years, has given rise to interesting theater seasons and has given room to all initiatives of local artistic realities, such as that of the Music School (the first founded in Tuscany in 1976 ).

Willem Vandenameele