Kursaal Santalucia
In the Umbertino quarter a residential block grew a theatre behind a sinuous Liberty sign and a frieze of masks.
At a glance
The Kursaal Santalucia is a late-Liberty theatre in Bari’s Umbertino quarter, a few steps from the seafront. The engineer Orazio Santalucia first designed the building in 1925 as a residence; in 1927 he revised the project to carve a theatre hall into it, inaugurated on 5 November 1927.
Key facts
- Designed: 1925; theatre inaugurated 5 November 1927
- Engineer: Orazio Santalucia
- Style: Late Liberty / Art Déco
- Facade sculpture: Gennaro Pepe (masks and lyre-players)
- Coordinates: 41.1237, 16.8756 — Google Maps
History
Orazio Santalucia drew the building in 1925 as a private residential block. In 1927 a variant of the project turned part of it into a theatre — the Kursaal — which opened on 5 November 1927, one of the social hubs of the new Umbertino quarter.
After a long decline the theatre has been the object of restoration in recent years, bringing back its decorated halls.
What you see
The wider central bay of the facade carries large windows and the sinuous script of the theatre’s name, framed by high-relief masks and lyre-players carved by the sculptor Gennaro Pepe.
Inside, the Sala Giuseppina keeps ceilings by the Turin brothers Mario and Guido Prayer, with reliefs and frescoes drawn from an allegorical and floral repertory typical of the late Liberty.
Practical information
- A historic theatre under restoration; check current access and event programme before visiting.
- The facade is freely visible from the street.
- In the Umbertino quarter, close to the seafront.
Getting there
The Kursaal is on Largo Adua, off Via Cognetti in the Umbertino quarter, a short walk from the Bari seafront and the central Murat district.
Nearby
- Teatro Margherita on the old port
- Palazzo Mincuzzi
- Teatro Petruzzelli
Sources
- Barinedita — local heritage reportage
- Comune di Bari
- FAI — Fondo Ambiente Italiano
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