Around 1841 a group of well-off citizens of Palmanova, led by two lawyers Antonio Simoni and Antonio Monte Rumici, felt the strong need to have a Social Theatre. The idea was highly appreciated so the architect Giovan Battista Bassi was called to plan and build it.

The theatre, now standing in the historical centre of the Fortress town, distinguished from the other buildings for the severe elegance, despite its small dimensions. The facade, in neo-classical style, was scanned by a monumental order of Doric half -columns, while the inside hall had a crescent shape plant overlooked by three orders of boxes and a gallery, which held 300 people.



In 1800 the theatre arouse a great success all over Triveneto (the three regions of the North East of Italy) by virtue of the new social status and representative sign of the rising middle-class. Sometimes it became a “secular temple” hotbed of revolt during the Risorgimento’s risings. The double function is perfectly represented by the activity of Gustavo Modena of Palmanova.

In 1844 he arrived, with his company at the Social Theatre, and made it immediately popular for the strongly new form of his plays. Modena, nourished by Jacobin culture, aimed to a basic reform of the theatrical system, based on the identification of the human depth of the character.

Modena co-operated with Mazzini and led and anti-Austrian insurrection in 1848, using the theatre as his headquarters. His democratic project turned to be defeated, at the end, as it was too early for the times.
Therefore Modena would abandon both the stage and politics. Gesture of great consistency and one more reason for honouring the Theatre of Palmanova with his name.
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