Il recupero dei teatri storici in area siciliana. Il caso del “Luigi Pirandello” ad Agrigento

Among the about 170 theatres present in the Sicilian area, only few remain to prove the original features. A large part has been converted into cinemas, loosing, most of the times, the original relations among the parts, reconstructed both in the design and in the materials. An intensive policy of recovery, value and protection of the theatrical architectural heritage has been recently begun, but the excessive confidence in technology and modern materials, together with the modest knowledge of the technical solutions used in the past, have often caused the demise of the most fragile and interesting original building elements, in the name of better comfort conditions and increased safety. The recovery of the “Pirandello” Theatre in Agrigento is one of the few cases where the needs of static caution and fire protection have been synthesized together with the preservation of the original structures. Built in a former convent, it summarizes the material, constructive and functional features of the “Italian style” theatre. The outer masonry includes all the different functions: “mixtilinear “ stalls and with rows of galleries in overlapping orders made of richly decorated wood structure, as well as the ceiling made of wood and reeds; the scenic machine with bold structures that support systems and equipment for the cables of the scene. It is still possible to admire the grids with wheels and cylinders for the movement of the scenes. The knowledge of the original constructive techniques has made the restoration more cultured and informed, with submission to the current legislation, but without distortions of the original conformation.