Teatro Pubblico (1732–1800) Teatro Reale (1800–1873) | |
.jpg) Façade of Teatru Manoel | |
 | |
| Address | 115, Old Theatre Street Valletta Malta |
|---|---|
| Designation | Grade 1 listed building |
| Capacity | 623 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1732 |
| Years active | 1732–present |
| Architect | Antonio Azzopardi and Francesco Zerafa[1] |
| Website | |
| teatrumanoel.com.mt | |
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Teatru Manoel (Maltese for "Manoel Theatre"; Italian: Teatro Manoel) is a theatre and important performing arts venue in Malta. The theatre is often referred to as simply "The Manoel", and is named after Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, Fra António Manoel de Vilhena, who ordered its construction in 1731. The theatre is reputed to be Europe's third-oldest working theatre (older than the San Carlo in Naples), and the oldest theatre still in operation in the Commonwealth of Nations.[2]
The theatre is located on Old Theatre Street (Maltese: Triq it-Teatru l-Antik) in Valletta. It considers itself as the country's national theatre and the home of Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (Orkestra Filarmonika Nazzjonali).[2] Originally called the Teatro Pubblico, its name was changed to Teatro Reale ('Theatre Royal') in 1812, and renamed Teatru Manoel in 1866. The first play to be performed was Maffei's Merope.
The theatre is a small, 623 seat venue, with an oval-shaped auditorium, three tiers of boxes constructed entirely of wood, decorated with gold leaf, and a pale blue trompe-l'œil ceiling that resembles a round cupola. The building is a Grade 1 listed building as noted by Malta's Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, and is also scheduled by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA).[3]
- ^ "Info" (PDF). melitensiawth.com. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
- ^ a b "Manoel Theatre". Valletta – Living history. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
- ^ "National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands" (PDF). Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.