How many times have we walked through the Galleria del Teatro Vecchio, perhaps leaving Coin to head toward Via Mestrina?
Yet not everyone knows that the building once housed the Balbi Theatre.
In 1778, on land owned by the Venetian patrician Almerico Balbi, located in the Piazza Barche area near the banks of the Canal Salso, a grand project gave rise to what, because of its size and harmonious design, was described as one of the finest theatres in Italy: the Teatro Balbi, which took its name from its founder.
After nine months, the theatre was completed, leaving everyone in awe of the grandeur of the work: the entrance hall was flanked by coffee shops and confectioners, while above it, on two levels, stood two majestic halls with adjoining rooms used for opera rehearsals and other purposes.
The Balbi Theatre was one of the favourite destinations, along with the theatres of Mestre, for the Venetian nobility, who travelled by boat from Venice along the Canal Salso to attend performances.
In 1811, the theatre was demolished to make room for residential buildings: part of the furnishings that once adorned its interiors, along with various decorative elements, were transferred to La Scala Theatre in Milan.
Today, crossed by the Galleria del Teatro Vecchio, only the entrance hall has survived to our time. It has undergone a relatively recent restoration that allows it to be partially recognised. For reference, if the theatre still existed today, it would be almost three times the size of the Teatro Toniolo.
