The Rossetti Theater in Vasto is the second-oldest theater in Abruzzo, following the Marrucino Theater in Chieti. It was inaugurated on May 30, 1819, originally named the Royal Bourbon Theater, and was built on the ruins of the former Church of Santo Spirito, which was part of the disbanded Celestine convent.
Designed by engineer Taddeo Salvini from Orsogna, the theater was completed in 1830 with contributions from architect Nicola Maria Pietrocola and the intricate wooden theater boxes crafted by cabinetmaker Pasquale Monacelli.
With the Unification of Italy, the theater was renamed in honor of the poet and patriot Gabriele Rossetti. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the building had deteriorated significantly, leading to extensive restoration work completed in 1909.
The renovated theater, while maintaining its original 19th-century layout with just 156 seats, was given a lavish makeover, earning it the nickname “jewel box” due to its opulent gilded stucco decorations by the Manetti workshop of Florence and damask wall coverings.
One of its most admired features is the ceiling fresco, painted by the Catalan artist Federico Ballester, depicting “The Hours Delighted by the Muses.” Inspired by Amilcare Ponchielli’s “Dance of the Hours”, the composition showcases ethereal, floating female figures in a luminous void. This masterpiece, a prime example of Catalan Modernism, remains one of Ballester’s most celebrated works.
Following World War I, the Rossetti Theater continued to play a vital role in Vasto’s cultural life.
In 1932, it hosted the premiere of the operetta “Core me’”, with a libretto by Espedito Ferrara and music by Aniello Polsi.
During World War II, in the autumn of 1943, Vasto was occupied by Allied forces led by General Montgomery. On December 30, 1943, Montgomery delivered his farewell speech to his officers and soldiers at the Rossetti Theater, as he prepared for the Normandy landings.
Following the war, the theater was abandoned and repurposed as a storage facility. During the occupation, the original early 19th-century stage backdrop, depicting the coronation of Lucio Valerio Pudente as Poet Laureate on the Capitoline Hill, was stolen.
Restoration efforts did not begin until the 1970s, culminating in the theater’s reopening in 1987.
In its foyer, a plaster statue of Gabriele Rossetti, sculpted in 1883 by Vasto-born artist Alfonso Celano, was placed. This statue was initially a preliminary model for a monument the city wished to erect in his honor. It is still on display today and is considered a more faithful likeness of the poet than the bronze statue in Rossetti Square, unveiled in 1926.
Since 2007, the theater has hosted a regular season of concerts and drama performances. In early 2007, a series of concerts culminated in an official speech by the President of the Senate, marking the theater’s definitive relaunch under the artistic direction of Maestro Raffaele Bellafronte. For the first time in its history, the Rossetti Theater presented a full season of music and theater, reaffirming its status as a cornerstone of Vasto’s cultural scene.
