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Piazza Giuseppe Verdi in Viterbo: the Outdoor Musical Parlour of Tuscia
Piazza Giuseppe Verdi is the 19th-century heart of Viterbo, an elegant and lively space that revolves around its architectural jewel: the Teatro dell'Unione, named after the celebrated composer in 1901. But the square is not just about the theatre: it is an open-air parlour where the people of Viterbo love to meet, stroll under the arcades, enjoy a coffee at the cafés, shop in the boutiques lining the porticoes. A meeting place for everyone, both young and old, locals and tourists.
From an Ill-Famed Alley to Boulevard
Until the mid-19th century, this area was the site of Vico Squarano, a maze of working-class houses, workshops and oil mills, known as a disreputable place. Everything changed with the construction of the theatre, commissioned by the municipality to provide the city with a modern cultural space. The works, directed by architect Virginio Vespignani, transformed the lane into an elegant boulevard of Parisian inspiration: a broad rectangle surrounded by arcades, with the theatre as a scenic backdrop.
Music, Meetings, Events
Inaugurated in 1868, the Teatro dell'Unione brought great operatic and symphonic music to the square. Artists of the calibre of Tommaso Salvini, Raffaele Viviani and Vittorio Gassman have performed on its stage. The bust of Sesto Bruscantini, a baritone from Viterbo, recalls the connection with bel canto. But the square is also lively during the day, animated by those who stop for a coffee at Schenardi, shop at Damaschi Moda or the Etruria bookshop, or admire the Neoclassical façade of the theatre, with its pilasters and tall windows.
A Square for the City
Piazza Verdi today is the venue for many cultural events, from the summer "Piazze di Cinema" festival to the FAI spring days. But above all it is a space lived in by the people of Viterbo, a meeting point for an aperitif, a stroll, an ice cream. The statue of Maestro Verdi, at the centre of the square, seems to look with pride upon this teeming life. Indeed, he loved to repeat: "Let us return to the old ways, and that will be progress." In Piazza Verdi, old and new coexist in perfect harmony.
