Library and theater museum of the Burcardo, Theater museum and specialized library in Via del Sudario, Rome, Italy
The Burcardo is a specialized theater collection in Rome that holds more than 124,240 items including books, manuscripts, photographs, and stage equipment. The institution occupies a 15th-century palace and provides research facilities alongside its exhibition space for scholars of theater history.
The museum was founded in 1932 and occupies the Palazetto del Burcardo, built on the remains of Pompey's ancient Roman theater. This location connects the institution to one of the most important theater sites of Roman antiquity.
The collection displays marionettes from around the world and rare harlequin costumes that show how Commedia dell'Arte evolved over time. You can see original stage pieces and props that bring theater from centuries past to life.
The museum provides research facilities and free Wi-Fi for visitors interested in studying theater history. Since this is a specialized collection, it helps to check beforehand which areas will be relevant to your visit.
Luigi Rasi never saw his theatre museum: he died in 1918, and his widow Teresa Sormanni Rasi offered the collection to the Ministry of Culture, which declined. The playwright Marco Praga, then president of the Società Italiana degli Autori, bought it in 1926; it stayed in storage in Milan before moving to Rome. Among its pieces are 18th-century Chinese rod puppets Rasi bought on a trip to China.
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