Teatro Civico di Schio

The theater does not strictly fall within the network of workers' or cultural institutions desired by Alessandro Rossi, yet it is a material sign of the vitality not only industrial but also cultural that the City of Schio reached at the beginning of the 20th century, and it is built right within the New Workers' Quarter.
In 1906, a "Cooperative for the New Theater" was established in Schio with the aim of providing the City with a new theater that could meet its growing cultural demands; the presidency was entrusted to Baron Alessandro Rossi, nephew of the namesake industrialist. A design competition was announced, and among the submitted projects, that of the Vicenza architect Ferruccio Chemello was chosen, while the construction was entrusted to master builder Antonio Carretta. The building is conceived in an eclectic style with an Italian theater layout: a horseshoe-shaped auditorium, stalls, boxes, and a large gallery. For the construction of the civic theater, the designer used reinforced concrete (floors and gallery), an innovative material at the time chosen for structural and fire resistance reasons.
On June 9, 1909, the solemn inauguration of the Theater took place with the performance of the opera Mefistole by Arrigo Boito, chosen to showcase the great scenic possibilities to the audience. The building features three large arches on the main façade that allow access to the atrium, and then, via marble stairs from Chiampo, one arrives in the once vast auditorium filled entirely with seats and benches. The floor of the auditorium was removable, and beneath it was an equestrian track, on the sides rows of boxes and a gallery capable of 700 seated places. The theater was constructed with great care and with all the comforts that the practice had suggested up to that time: from heating in the 15 dressing rooms for artists and dancers, to the precious crimson velvet curtain. On the second floor of the theater, there is an elegant conference room named after Giovanni Calendoli.
The historic building, following a shared restoration, was reopened to the public on March 29, 2014.