ABSTRACT
During the seventeenth century, performances at the Regio Ducale Teatro of Milan became truly spectacular. In several cases, theatrical productions were directly linked with dynastic and political events. This chapter aims to give an outline of the key role played by the Teatro during two very important royal events: the visit of Margherita of Austria to Milan in 1598–1599 and the visit of Maria Anna of Austria in 1649. In addition, some insights are provided into the wedding festival that took place in 1672 for Gaspar Téllez-Girón de Osuna, the Spanish Governor of Milan. The themes of festivities on these occasions reflected the rhetorical and iconographic programmes created for the festivals. In a sense, the festivities in the Teatro completed the ephemeral apparati built in the outdoor locations of Milan. The Teatro itself was transformed for use during public ceremonies, a special transformation in the general context of the transformation of the city and its spaces. Festival performances combined contemporary taste, as evident in the ephemeral apparati and stage sets, with precise political objectives, thus conveying a meaningful visual representation of power.
