The Teatro Torti is located in the main square of Bevagna, a picturesque medieval village set on a hill at the western edge of the Valle Umbra. It is housed into the Palazzo dei Consoli, built in the thirteenth century. On the ground floor of the ancient palace we can still see the loggia, with three large gothic arches and a smaller arch, probably used as an open market in the past.
This is one of the smallest theatres of Umbria, only 251 seats, but in its limited proportions there are harmony and perfection. Tastefully decorated, it shows interesting nineteenth-century paintings. Built in 1886 by architect Antonio Martini, it is named after Francesco Torti, scholar and literary critic.
The theatre has a horseshoe structure, three tiers of boxes, and a gallery; the parapets are made from cast iron columns.
The ceiling was decorated by Mariano Piervittori: his painting represents the dancing Muses. The original curtain was painted by Domenico Bruschi in 1886; during the restoration, in 1994, another curtain was realized by painter Luigi Frappi.
The coat of arms above the curtain, dated 1380, was donated by Pope Innocent IV. The inscription on it reads “OsF”, which stands for “Ob servatam Fidem”. After the structural restoration, the theatre is regularly active.
The construction of the theatre was strongly supported by the citizens of Bevagna, gathered in a committee in 1871. The inauguration took place on the evening of August 28, 1886.
