Over recent years, we have worked closely with the Municipality of Venice to identify a feasible site in Venice, which is both worthy of the full potential of this historic project and capable of delivering the key modern requirements of regeneration, impact and sustainability. 

It was therefore a pleasure to take part in the conference "Il Teatro Sant'Angelo al tempo di Vivaldi (1700-1740)" and to present our project for the Palazzo Donà Balbi to Venice and, above all, to the Venetians first and foremost. Many thanks to our partners at the Istituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi (Fondazione Giorgio Cini) and the Fondazione Levi for being such great hosts.

On 11 October, we presented to the Città Metropolitana our Manifestation of Interest to acquire our site. We now have a window of opportunity to conclude our Capital financing programme FOUNDER FUNDING to fund its acquisition and to deliver the valuation of €12.5 million. The project will bring a total investment to Venice of €60 million over five years and indeed has already given work to over 40 Venetian companies. Once operational, the theatre will employ over 200 full- and part-time employees. It will create and maintain all its costumes, stage machinery, scenery and special effects, offering in the process apprenticeships and work to Venice’s and Italy’s talented artisans, whose future is today at risk.

Location

The Palazzo Donà Balbi is prominently situated on the Canal Grande in the “centro storico” (Riva de Biasio, 1299/a), and just five minutes from the Santa Lucia railway station. It means that Teatro San Cassiano will return to its home of Santa Croce and will stand just 500 metres as the crow flies from the original site of 1637. Its location is significantly less vulnerable to aqua alta.

The site today

The historic theatre itself will be inserted into the garden at the rear of the palazzo, where today stand two office buildings.

The site with theatre inserted 

This will allow both the palazzo and theatre to merge into a single complex thus creating a world-leading centre for the study, exploration and performance of Baroque opera, and more. The palazzo today is in a state of neglect and in urgent need of restoration, but once returned to its former glory it will make the perfect home for all the support activities of the theatre. It will host a visitor centre, museum and library, a restaurant, offices and a roof-top viewing gallery. It will offer workshops, outreach projects and conferences, and of course, be supported by a state-of-the-art 21^st century infrastructure.

Theatre plan: longitudinal view, Jon Greenfield (Greenfield Architecture)

We should add that this project has always placed sustainability at the centre of its plans. We are thus delighted to confirm that no tree will be damaged in the garden and that in fact the external walls of the theatre will be covered year-round in evergreen plants creating a thriving environment for Venetian flora and fauna. The aim is simply that of having a positive impact on both our community and neighbours.

Despite the above, we hope it goes without saying that we are not seeking to present the site as a done deal. There is clearly a process to follow and naturally will must respect the will of both the Municipality of Venice and that of the Venetian community. What we are saying is that we have a moment in history in which we can restore the world’s first public opera house to Venice, where it undoubtedly belongs. We have shown it is possible, now we need to deliver on this unique opportunity.

The theatre is scheduled to be active inside 2028.