Interior of the Antonio Bibiena Theater

One of the most original ideas of Antonio Bibiena was to create a sudden opening in the stage area and to place two statues to the right and the left, slightly above the stage. These statues are of Baldassarre Castiglione and of Gabriele Bertazzolo. The surrounding area is filled with boxes, and two more statues, of Virgil and of Pomponazzo, are placed here. This arrangement seems to reflect the double nature of the venue: it is both theatre and academic hall, in theory allowing the audience to take place anywhere around the stage and the parterre, a stage that can be seen from anywhere in the hall. It is very difficult in this theatre to present plays with a complex scenography, even the least complex. Here the architecture itself serves as backdrop for the performances.