Auditorium Comunale di Cagliari, Municipal theatre in Marina district, Cagliari, Italy.
The Auditorium Comunale occupies the former church of Santa Teresa in Piazzetta Dettori. Its facade has two orders divided by a cornice carried on four pilasters, a double-curved "carabiniere lantern" crowning, and the Jesuit emblem at the apex. The octagonal-drum dome is visible from Via Principe Amedeo. Renovations between 1998 and the early 2000s reshaped the interior, erasing the original Latin-cross plan with a single nave, transept and side chapels.
The structure began as the Church of Santa Teresa, built by Jesuits in 1691, and was converted into a performance venue after World War II. This transformation allowed the building to serve a new purpose in the city's cultural life.
Since late 2009 the auditorium has housed Cagliari's Scuola d'Arte Drammatica, directed by Lelio Lecis. In January 2010 the venue launched its own season under the title "Cagliari a teatro". Citizens call the rebuilt theatre the "bomboniera" of Cagliari.
The auditorium stands in piazzetta Dettori, in the Marina quarter, a short walk from Cagliari's port area and the Via Roma waterfront. The entrance is on the piazzetta side; the octagonal dome can be spotted from via Principe Amedeo to orient yourself. The hall is used for theatre seasons and school performances, so check the programme before setting out.
The building preserves the original Jesuit emblem at the apex of its facade, topped by a distinctive architectural element called the carabiniere lantern. This detail reveals how the building's original religious purpose remains visible in its current appearance.
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