Sabbioneta, situated in the middle of the Po Plain and one of the most heavily fortified strongholds of Lombardy during the Spanish rule in Italy, is today an important art center of the northern Italian region of Lombardy. Not least, the terracotta used in the construction of the idyllic city contributes to this fact...
Appointed a duchy in 1577, Vespasiano Gonzaga (1531-1591) built his “ideal Renaissance city” on the sandy deposits of the Po and Oglio rivers, modeled after Roman examples. His “Citta Ideale” or “Little Athens” formed a city fortified by six bastions containing magnificent buildings, such as the Teatro all’Antica, constructed from hewn blocks of rusticated natural stone and featuring handmade terracotta floors and details.
In the Teatro all’Antica, the terracotta floor tiles were used to cover the floor of the audience area (the auditorium or cavea) and the adjoining orchestra. The tiles lie directly in front of and beneath the semicircular wooden tribune and extend to beneath the Corinthian colonnade.
The tiles are made from a traditional clay mix from the Po Valley and were handcrafted. They have a warm, nutty pink hue and measure 23x23 cm. This earthy material forms a deliberate aesthetic contrast with the marble and wood interior of the Renaissance theater. Architect Vincenzo Scamozzi chose these tiles to recreate the classical Roman atmosphere while simultaneously creating a harmonious base from which the columns with the statues of the twelve Olympian gods seem to rise.
The manufacturer of the handmade terracotta floor tiles, one of Terrecotte Europe's "preferred suppliers," is known for the manual production of traditional, authentic terracotta tiles. They use historical techniques for this that perfectly align with the architectural requirements of Renaissance monuments.
Thanks to their expertise based on original samples and designs, they were able to deliver the specific square shape and the distinctive nutty pink hue that architect Vincenzo Scamozzi envisioned at the time.
The ‘Ducal Theatre’ (Teatro Ducale), the very first building deliberately designed for the function of a permanent theatre, is—alongside the application of the Pythagorean proportions of the city pattern—equally the most spectacular element of this city designed in a classical checkerboard pattern.
