The first theater in Pietrasanta was “Lo Stanzone delle Comedie,” built in 1674 inside the Palazzo Pretorio. It was shut down in 1775 following radical restoration work within the palace itself. In 1783, a group of 12 local nobles formed an academy, called the Areostatici, with the primary goal of building a new, authentic theater for the city. The new theater, designed by engineer Domenico Svanascini and consisting of a large, harmonious hall overlooked by three tiers of boxes, was built near Piazza Maggiore, in an open area behind the Palazzo Pretorio. It was inaugurated in 1785 and although there are no documents relating to its activity in the early years of its life, we believe that it was linked to the typical events of the Carnival period with plays and dances.
An old book of “productions and receipts,” meticulously kept by administrator Pietro Pellegrini, documents the theater’s activities from the second half of the 19th century to the early 20th century. As for prose, there was a predilection for drama with strong human and social overtones.
The Areostatici sold the Theater to the local administration in 1928. Some works were promptly carried out. In 1961, it was decided to once again radically change the architecture of the theater. The new project, presented by engineer Mario Maffei, included moving the theater entrance from the side street to the square, eliminating the two terraces and their columns to build a single gallery, thus creating a larger, more welcoming, and more comfortable seating area. The new Theater was inaugurated on November 26, 1966, but its operation was short-lived because, due to failure to comply with several important safety regulations, it was declared unfit for use. Only in 1991, after various renovations, it was reopened to the public with a concert by the Orchestra Regionale Toscana. Home to an important Winter Season, it has been managed by the La Versiliana Foundation since 2010.