Toselli Theater - History

History of the theater in Cuneo

Ancient history

The first recorded theatrical events in Cuneo date back to 1447, with the performance of dramatic works. Later, in 1481, "farces" were presented, featuring the first recorded professional comedians.

Later, the performances became interludes between festivals, jousts, tournaments, or traveling shows.
In the 18th century, performances were offered in occasional small theaters, without any permanent character, and organized on the private initiative of the "mansions" of Cuneo's nobles. Indeed, there are records of performances in the Palazzo Tornaforte and in that of the Counts Ricci of Andonno.

Only towards the end of the 18th century did the proposal to build a theatre surface in Cuneo.

The Toselli Theater

The Toselli Civic Theatre in Cuneo is an ancient institution founded by thirty-nine citizens who, in 1803, in agreement with the Municipality, formed a "Society" to found it, thus giving rise to what has now become the Toselli in its definitive version.

The Cuneo theatre was born from the proposal of the Prefect of the Stura Department, Degregory, the commander of the Department, General Compans, the Mayor Count Cairotti of Chiusano, and thirty-six other private citizens who wanted to transform the building formerly owned by the Capuchin monks, which had become the property of the Confraternity of Mercy, into a theatre, or rather a "performance hall".

The project was drawn up in 1803 and the theatre was ready to be inaugurated on Boxing Day of the same year.

The so-called "Carnovale" season lasted until 1804, with 45 performances on the bill, followed by another 51 performances during the Beato Angelo season. The plays were by important authors, including Federici, Goldoni, Pindemonte, Alfieri, Voltaire, and Avelloni. Sometimes the comedy was followed by a brilliant farce, other times by a masked ball. A long-lasting custom was that of "benefit performances" for the leading actress or leading actor, who received the entire takings.

Two curiosities immediately stand out: there were no seats in the stalls, but each spectator brought a folding chair, which could also be rented at the theatre, and the interval lasted at least an hour to allow the audience to go to the nearby tavern.

Subsequently, in 1828, the Municipality of Cuneo purchased the theater premises and the "annexed sites" formerly owned by the Capuchin friars from the Confraternity of Mercy, in order to begin a general renovation of the complex. The project was entrusted to architect Carlo Barabino, who was renowned as one of the most respected theater builders. Barabino was known for designing and building the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.

King Charles Felix, with royal patents dated May 28, 1828, approved the reconstruction of the theater. The work was completed in a few months, and on Christmas Day of the same year, the completely renovated theater was reopened, its elegant auditorium greatly appreciated.

King Charles Felix himself, with the Queen, a few months later, happily attended the performance of a Goldonian comedy.

In 1852, the Cuneo City Council also approved the project for some improvements to the theatre, which included the installation of a clock in the ornamental part of the theatre, the enlargement of the stage, new gas lighting and a new imposing chandelier.

In 1857, Giovanni Toselli of Cuneo founded the "National Dramatic Company." He undoubtedly played a key role in the rediscovery of Piedmontese comedy; in fact, to do something bizarre, he planned to stage his Gianduja in "Francesca da Rimini," adapting Pellico's Italian tragedy into a Piedmontese drama entitled "Cichina 'd Moncalè.".

Giovanni Toselli, the creator of a "new dramaturgy," occupied the stage with great commitment and dignified performance. His activity during this period was intense and highly successful: it's noteworthy that the most significant works of that period were by authors from the Cuneo area.

In the second half of the 19th century, Giovanni Toselli, at the height of his success and eager to demonstrate his dedication to the city, built a theater at his own expense, dubbed the "Teatro d'Estate." It opened in 1874 and operated primarily during the summer months, offering popular performances. However, after a period of successful audiences, the Teatro d'Estate became burdened by ongoing debts and had to be sold to the Municipality of Cuneo for 35,000 lire. After the Cuneo maestro's death, and by municipal resolution, the theater took the name of its director and officially became the "Teatro Toselli."
Following a disastrous fire that struck the theater in Nice, the Civic Theater was closed and all performances were transferred to the Teatro d'Estate, Toselli's own.

It was on these occasions that Tancredi Galimberti delivered the famous speech “Cuneo in its centuries” at the Teatro d'Estate on 9 September 1898, thus celebrating the city's 700th anniversary.

From 1900 to today

During the First World War, the Civic Theatre fell into complete neglect, becoming a military depot. After the war, a debate erupted among the citizens, even before the City Council, regarding the advisability of renovating the theatre or building a new one. Numerous projects and ideas were developed.

Then, in 1920, the old Theatre was demolished to make way for the Post Office, and at the same time, work was carried out to allow for a limited opening of the Civic Theatre. On this occasion, the Theatre was named after Toselli with this plaque: “While the theatre built by Giovanni Toselli is being demolished to make way for the Post Office and Telegraph Office on its site, the city of Cuneo, hoping for the construction of a new building worthy of the prince of the Piedmontese stage, names this glorious theatre, steeped in ancient traditions, after him, to attest that his memory lives on forever in the hearts of his fellow citizens – February 1920”.

Meanwhile, debates raged in the city for years over the feasibility of building a new theater with new designs. Only in 1927 was the plan to build a new theater definitively abandoned and a radical renovation and modernization of the old Toselli was decided upon.

The project, developed by Engineer Cesare Vinaj – head of the municipal technical office – included, among other things, the elimination of the first tier of boxes, thus enlarging the stalls, and the creation of a stepped gallery to replace the third tier boxes. This resulted in a significant increase in seating capacity, reaching 850. On May 12, 1928, the radically renovated Toselli Theater reopened its doors with the comedy "I quattro Rusteghi," and Camillo Fresia dictated the text on the plaque placed in the foyer: "Built in 1803 from the suppressed Capuchin Church, rebuilt in 1828 thanks to the generosity of Architect Barabino, this theater, a traditional expression of Cuneo's artistic life, received its definitive layout in 1928.".

In the postwar period, the Toselli Theater went through one of its most difficult periods: the municipality leased the theater to the company that managed the city's cinemas, and this company moved the prose performances to the Cinema Nazionale on Via Roma. Years of complete silence followed, with only the University Students Association, very active in those years, occupying the theater for a variety of events. The theater remained abandoned for a long time. In 1966, the Mayor of Cuneo, Tancredi Dotta Rosso, commissioned the most suitable modifications and innovations to restore the theater, and in 1968 the gallery was modified, significantly increasing the number of seats and, above all, significantly improving the stage.

On October 5, 1968, the theater was reopened with great pomp, participation, and satisfaction from the citizens.

All the most illustrious and celebrated Italian actors, gathered in the “subscription program”, landed on the Cuneo stage, while important European companies were presented in the “Cuneo alternative theatre” series.

Many leading national companies presented their productions in Cuneo, as national premieres. Of the very rare live prose broadcasts on Rai-TV, two were performed on the Toselli stage: Garelli's "La felicità 'd monsù Guma," starring Macario and directed by Massimo Scaglione, and Mayakovsky's "Il bagno," starring the Compagnia del Teatro Stabile di Torino, directed by Mario Missiroli.

The famous director Nanni Loy said on television: "The theater has broken Cuneo's isolation. Culture has reconnected the city to Italy, predating highways and railways. I say that other cities may have better roads, better lighting, or whatever, but they certainly don't have the light, the tradition, the fame that surrounds the Toselli Theater.".

The Cuneo theatre has undergone significant renovations over time, which have certainly altered its artistic and decorative value, sometimes to the detriment of its former splendor.

In 1996, compliance with new regulations created the opportunity to develop a comprehensive project that would address both the structure's legislative compliance and its artistic and decorative restoration. The investigations conducted identified the most reliable contemporary situations possible, clarifying the theater's original condition in order to organize works to restore it to its former splendor.

The works, begun on April 2, 1996, were completely completed on July 30, 1998, and were entirely financed by the Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo Foundation, highlighting its intention to invest in the culture of the City of Cuneo.

The safety and regulatory compliance aspects, combined with the aesthetic aspects of the restoration, did not, however, overshadow the life of the theater itself, whose central moment is the performance. To this end, many essential measures were introduced for the proper and efficient use of the facility.
The intervention was profound and radical, and returned to the city an important structure that is part of its history and is destined to endure over time.