3 – THE THEATRE OF THE SPIRITED (ENG)

The Theater of the Spirited, together with the Politeama Verdi, marks the beginning of the modern phase in Carrara’s urban expansion.

After 300 years confined within the medieval city walls and another 300 within the Renaissance walls commissioned by Alberico I, the 19th century brought changes not only to the city’s economic and social life but also to its urban landscape. The community chose a new building around which to gather: the Theater of the Spirited. It was the golden age of marble, and the city required new structures—workshops, houses, and roads wide enough for carts carrying marble blocks incessantly to the sea. The highest price was paid by the 16th-century walls and monumental gates, which were demolished.

In the space where the New Sea Door once stood, new buildings were erected, the most significant of which was the Theater of the Spirited. Its name derives from the “Company of Spirited,” a society of private citizens who financed its construction and are commemorated in the inscription on the balustrade.

The building, designed by Lucchese architect Giuseppe Pardini, was entirely funded by private wealth from Carrara’s affluent citizens.