December 31, 2018 – Built in 1612 and closed since 2004, the oldest public theatre in Europe is set to reopen on Hvar.
Some great news for Hvar Town in this very historic year for one of Croatia’s top destination, as it has been announced that one of its top cultural treasure the oldest public theatre in Europe – is set to reopen after 15 years.
Hvar Town has already been celebrating a special 150th birthday in 2018 as its status as the birthplace of organised tourism in Europe. Back on May 15, 1868, the Hvar Health Society opened its doors, a society which is credited as the oldest organised tourism in Europe.
It is not the only oldest thing in Europe that the town boasts, however. Way back in 1612, the oldest public theatre in all Europe opened its doors on the main square of Hvar Town, a sign of the rich cultural heritage of an island which has more UNESCO heritage than any other island in the world.
Located on the first floor of the Arsenal building which guards the entrance to Dalmatia’s largest square, the theatre has been sadly closed since 2004 due to the need for urgent renovations. This included the 400th anniversary of the theatre back in 2012.
The newly-revamped theatre should be open for its first performance in May 2019, and there will also be a space for art exhibitions as well. An excellent addition to the cultural offer of the town.
The theatre has recently been opened up to the public for viewing on selected dates. Popular Hvar blog Go Hvar not only popped in to see what all the fuss was about, but also wrote an excellent and very detailed blog about the theatre, including a ton of great pictures and PDFs. Check out the Go Hvar blog on Europe’s oldest public theatre.
For more information about the island of Hvar, follow the dedicated TCN portal.
