The reconstruction of the Teatro Galli in Rimini: the acoustic design

The town of Rimini, Northern Italy, was founded in 268 BC, in an area that had previously been inhabited by the Etruscans, the Umbrians, the Greeks and the Gauls. The Romans called this colony Ariminum, probably from the name of a nearby river, Ariminus (today, Marecchia). It was seen as a bastion against invading Gaul and also as a springboard for conquering the Padana plain. Rimini was a road junction connecting central Italy (Via Flaminia) and northern Italy (Via Aemilia that led to Piacenza and Via Popilia) and it also opened up trade by sea and river. Rimini drew the attention of many Roman emperors, including Augustus who did much for the city and Hadrian in particular. This great period in its history was embodied by the construction of prestigious monuments such as the Arch of Augustus, Tiberius' Bridge and the Amphitheatre and Galla Placida built the church of San Stefano. During the 19th Century the town acquired an international reputation for the seaside, and a new theatre which was designed by Luigi Poletti succeeded in translating into Neoclassical form the ambitions of the ruling classes. The theatre was completely destroyed during II World War. In the following decades, many proposals were developed for the new theatre. In 2003, the final design was accepted, following the rule “where it was, how it was”. In this paper the new design is analyzed, and the results from the simulations are evaluated and compared with other similar theatres.