Yet perhaps no building better represents the spirit of the city and its local history than the Teatro (dei Principi di) Carignano, which became a theater in the early 18th century as a place of leisure and gathering for the aristocracy, establishing Turin as a modern European capital. One could say that its history has at times been part comedy, part tragedy, marked by declines and revivals, fires, restorations, and narrowly avoided bombings.
The most recent renovation was literally a challenge: in just over two years, an old theater of wood, stucco, and velvet was transformed into a modern jewel of technological innovation. A completely new stage tower now cleverly hides backstage dressing rooms, scaffolds, service routes, increasingly large sets, and a rehearsal stage as large as the main stage. A movable “mystical gulf” allows the orchestra pit to rise and become an integral part of the stage.
The auditorium was fully restored, climate-controlled, and acoustically perfect, with fire-resistant seats and furnishings crafted with skill by the heirs of the original artisans. The new foyer, housed in the former brewery, the sinuous side staircases, and the complete reworking of the portico—freed from the vestibule and furnishings added in more recent times—have returned to the city a modern theater that now proudly showcases centuries of history.