Palazzo Sergardi Biringucci

 

 

Built in 1744 by the Sergardi family, the palace was planned by the Sienese architect Paolo Posi.

In the 18th century Siena underwent great architectural changes as many of the noble families built palaces along two main streets: Via dei Banchi di Sopra/ Via Montanini and Via dei Banchi di Sotto/ Via Pantaneto.

In this period Siena was particularly open to stylistic influence from Rome where Paolo Posi worked as well. Said architect planned two of the most important buildings in Siena at this time: Palazzo Sergardi and Palazzo de’ Vecchi.

When planning the construction of Palazzo Sergardi Posi brought together buildings that were already present on the site, probably a convent and an adjoining church from an earlier age.

In fact, Posi converted said church (which is today a space for temporary exhibitions ) into the palace's stables.

The first floor ( the so called “ piano nobile” which includes also a theatre and a small chapel was decorated with stuccoes and frescoed with mythological subjects by Luigi Ademollo (1794 circa) who also designed the flooring mosaics.

The rooms on the main floor still feature some of the original furnishings (mirrors, fire places, etc.).

Last but not least, the “SPANNOCHI LIBRARY” is one of the treasures of the Sergardi inheritance still present now days within the walls of the palace, with thousands of ancient volumes.

 

 

Ludovico Sergardi (Quinto Settano)

 

 

 

On the facade of Palazzo Sergardi there is a plaque dedicated to Ludovico Sergardi, born in 1660 and known in the literary Accademia dell'Arcadia by the pseudonym Quinto Settano.

The Sergardi family had important ties with the Roman Curia and thus Ludovico was sent by his family to Rome to complete his law studies and then start an ecclesiastical career. He was a deacon in the Sacra Consulta and prefect of the Fabric of Saint Peter.

His most important work, The Satires, published in 1694, dealt with the theme of moral criticism of the habits of his contemporaries.

His witty intelligence made him popular not only in the Pope's court but also in Roman aristocracy circles, where he promoted Sienese culture .

 

 

 

Marga Sergardi – The Piccolo Teatro

 

 

The “Piccolo Teatro” was the creation of Marga Sergardi Marmoross (1919 – 2011).

Marga Sergardi brought to Siena and Palazzo Sergardi the theatrical expertise she had attained before World War II in her youth in the gardens of Villa Catignano, her family homestead, just outside Siena, where she set up original  rustic performances.

In order to do that she taught the farm workers' children how to act, and wrote and directed plays for children, being a young little girl herself.

She called the group the “Company of the Rooster of Catignano” and they performed (not only in Siena but also in Rome at the Teatro Quirino and in Florence at the Teatro La Pergola) fairy tales, myths and stories Marga composed herself.

Since war broke out the theatrical activity came to an end. But in the early 1950s Marga Sergardi moved her activity to Palazzo Sergardi and founded the “Piccolo Teatro” setting up a perfectly working and fully equipped 100 seats theatre in the ballroom of her Siena house. The “LITTLE THEATRE” was inaugurated by Paolo Grassi and Silvio D'Amico, and availed itself of the collaboration of the Florentine Maestro Carlo Francini.

Marga Sergardi and Carlo Francini co-operated in getting ready new programs so that the theatre should first of all become a means of education and then a centre for theatrical productions for both young and adult professional actors. These two parallel lives of Piccolo Teatro thrived for almost half a century.

In addition to the refinement of their personal skills of interpretation, Marga wanted the young actors to obtain a good knowledge of the requirements of a play so that they might acquire an expertise in art and technique.

The repertoire of the “ Piccolo Teatro” since its inception included acting, voice and diction classes, ballet, foreign languages, costume design, lighting design and set design, and last but not least History of Theatre classes.

The concept of theatre meant as artistic and technical teachings was a rather innovative idea at that time in Italy. Its aim was the training of qualified professionals both for the stage and for all disciplines connected to the theatre.

 

 

On May 9th 1957, during the WESTERN EUROPEAN UNION (WEU) CONFERENCE for After School Aestetic Education, held in Palazzo Sergardi, Marga Sergardi, in her speach to the Congressists, underlined the following points:

 

1- the gradual development of the creative faculties of the younger pupils by awakening their interest in the scenic effects of a performance, and the improvement of their degree of culture in all fields;

2-the high educating value of such courses;

3- the possibility of creating, by means of schools of this kind, groups of educated young people with a taste for prose; and even of creating the “audience” by awakening in the youngsters that direct interest for theatrical performances which, maybe due to the last war, has now been lacking in our country for many years”

Moreover, during the congress in 1957, Marga Sergardi, affirmed:

“the lessons of CREATIVE DRAMATICS are a way of partially solving the problem of uniting different States in modern times. Boys often have the same fanciful imagination despite their country of origin.”

 

Many generations of young people have studied and learned the art of theatre, theatre design and ballet at Piccolo Teatro. Countless theatre productions have taken place on its stage for over 50 years; expert seamstresses helped make over 800 costumes; some of them may be admired in the rooms of Palazzo Sergardi.

 

The vast theatrical library includes texts and theatrical works from the “SPANNOCCHI LIBRARY” inherited by Marga Sergardi and an entire collection of 1500 volumes donated by Maestro Carlo Francini.

 

 

Marga Sergardi taught Pedagogy of Theatre (elocution, recital and experimental scenic writing ) at the university of Bologna, and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. She was a prolific playwright and poet, and wrote essays about theatre. She received many literary prizes and distinctions, among them i) the 1990 “Mangia d'Oro” - the greatest honor that Siena bestows on its eminent citizens; ii) on 1994 the President’s of the Republic Oscar Luigi Scalfaro award for promoting learning among young people; iii) on 1996 the Minister’s of Education Luigi Berlinguer award for her commitment in teaching. 

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One of the aims of the newly founded Cultural Association PICCOLO TEATRO MARGA SERGARDI (May 2018) is to preserve and promote this cultural heritage by means of carrying on, developing and spreading its traditional teaching activities, establishing collaborative national and international partneships and creating new contemporary theatrical productions.

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