MUSICAL SUGGESTIONS

20 - Tartini Theatre

The Tartini Theatre” is one of the main monuments of town culture in Piran. The long rule of the Republic of Venice has left an indelible mark on this city, while only the final decades of the 19th-century, with the development of industry and economic expansion, saw more extensive building works take place in the medieval village At that time, the ancient port (the mandracchio) was backfilled and a new central square was created, the outer port on the coast was enlarged and a breakwater was built with material brought in from elsewhere. Important buildings, including the theatre, were built over time in the new area of urban expansion that was taking shape. The initiative for its construction at the beginning of the 20th century was also linked to the rapid development of tourism in nearby Portorož, that from a modest settlement had transformed itself into a worldly resort.

The building was therefore built in 1910, at the time of the Habsburg monarchy and in the period in which the novelties of the fin-de-siècle began to replace the classical-inspired forms. The building represents, in fact, a mix of styles without clear demarcations. The theatre has been renovated several times; the most recent intervention dating back to the period between 1998 and 2000. Among the elements of merit that stand out, above all, is the ceiling of the main hall, divided into four segments at the centre of which is depicted a pedestal with female figures - Greek goddesses or muses, protectors of the sciences and the arts. The arch of the great proscenium is rich in geometric, floral and figural decorations while around the main hall runs a two-story gallery with balconies and boxes.

Info: www.portoroz.si