Architectural Acoustics: the Cultural Heritage of Mediterranean Theatres

The acoustics of Opera houses and theatres characterise many different architectural historical buildings in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin. The acoustics of historical rooms, as baroque theatres and renaissance concert halls, is nowadays considered as the most important physical aspect in the cultural heritage of theatres. In this paper the acoustic characteristics of some important theatres in the Mediterranean basin will be considered. The theatres are chosen in important locations on the Mediterranean basin, covering different Countries. Moreover, in order to precisely characterise the analogies among the theatres, only theatres which were realised in the 18th Century were considered. The acoustics characteristics of the theatres have been obtained considering an exponential sine sweep played in the room by means of a pre-equilised omnidirectional sound source, and acquired by means of a dummy head and a Sound-Field microphone. Therefore, the measurements were be to obtain thorough informations about sound distribution in the hall, including spatial sound distribution. Afterwards, the acoustic physical parameters measured in the theatres are analysed and compared, and related with the architectural background of the area where they are located. Finally, some sound experiments obtained by means of 3D auralisation will be presented and commented. In this way the sound characterisation that was experienced by the listeners of the 18th century will be renewed and represented in the “Arlecchino” listening room at the University of Bologna.