Ai margini del regno: il teatro negli Abruzzi tra Antico Regime e epoca pre-unitaria

In past centuries, Abruzzo was the northernmost part of the Adriatic side of the Kingdom of Naples (1282-1816) and then of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1816-1861). The history of theatre and performing arts in Abruzzo is still largely unexplored. During the Modern Age, there were few theaters opened to the public. For a long time, they were forbidden to professional theatre companies. The Catholic Church controlled not only the spiritual life of citizens, but also the arts, including music and performances. The situation began to change in the second half of the 18th century, thanks to the political reforms initiated by Minister Bernardo Tanucci under the Bourbon government. During the Napoleonic occupation of the Kingdom of Naples, prejudices against the stage and its protagonists diminished significantly, but only in the last 19th century Abruzzo became part of the most important theater circuits of the Italian peninsula. This essay presents the first results of a research dedicated to the study of theatrical spaces, main types of impresarios and theatrical forms that developed in Abruzzo from Ancient Regime until the Unification of Italy.