Teatro del Pavone, 18th-century theatre in Perugia, Italy.
Teatro del Pavone stands on Piazza della Repubblica in Perugia. Rebuilt in masonry from 1765 on a design by Pietro Carattoli modelled on Rome's Teatro Argentina, it has a horseshoe-shaped plan with four tiers of boxes, the lowest carried on small columns with a decorated balustrade, and a fifth tier turned into a loggia.
Built in wood in 1717 by the noble founders of the Accademia del Pavone on the site of the old Locanda degli Ebrei, the theatre was demolished and rebuilt in masonry in 1765 to a design by Pietro Carattoli modelled on Rome's Teatro Argentina. In 1820 the Accademici bought part of Palazzo Graziani to enlarge it, and in 1856 the ceiling vault, roof and top tier were reworked into a loggia.
The name comes from the peacock, sacred bird of Juno: Francesco Appiani painted the curtain in 1772 with Turrena admiring the triumph of the goddess, and in 1814 Gaspare Coccia added the rebuilding of Perugia by Augustus. The box parapets carry painted stucco cameos by Carlo Spiridone Mariotti.
The theatre stands on Piazza della Repubblica, a short walk from Corso Vannucci in Perugia's centre. Cinema screenings, held here from 1940 to 2012, have ended; the building now serves events and cultural functions. Access for wheelchair users is limited, so check arrangements before visiting.
The building features a movable floor system from 1831 that raises the stage to ground level, transforming the space into a grand ballroom. This engineering solution allowed the venue to serve multiple purposes.
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