The Teatro Licinium is the open-air theatre of Erba, on the hill above the centre, in via Crotto Rosa: a circular stage with a colonnade and steps, inspired by classical arenas. The Airoldi brothers rebuilt it in 1928 after a storm brought down the wooden stage. It has had seasons of fame, between the «Passion» of Christ and Shakespeare, and seasons of neglect; in summer 2026 it hosts a festival.
History
In the 1920s the brothers Alberto and Federico Airoldi, Milanese who had settled in Erba Alta and loved the theatre, thought of an open-air space that would attract tourists and holidaymakers, in the park next to the Crotto Rosa hotel. Alberto, a man of letters and a poet, sensed how well the place suited classical performances.
On dates the sources differ. According to Camminacittà the Comune had a wooden stage with a dressing-room pavilion put up in the summer of 1923, and the theatre was inaugurated on 12 July 1924; in 1926 the «Passione di Cristo» was staged for the first time. For La Provincia di Como the adventure begins with the performances of summer 1923 and the permanent concrete structure dates from 1926; for the Comune of Erba and Lombardia Beni Culturali the theatre dates from 1928. One thing is certain: in March 1928 a storm of wind and snow brought down the wooden stage, and the two brothers decided to rebuild it.
The design was entrusted to the engineers Fermo Bassi and Giacomo Pozzoli, who asked for no fee. To enhance the natural setting, the new theatre had to take its cue from classical arenas, in line, Camminacittà recalls, with the fascist cult of Roman antiquity. They devised a circular stage flanked by a colonnade and bounded by steps. The work ended in July and cost about 40,000 lire, largely paid by the Airoldi. The inauguration was on 11 August 1928 with «L’amore dei tre re» by Sem Benelli, and from 14 August the «Passione di Cristo» was staged for six evenings. Giuseppe Terragni, who was working at the time on the nearby Monumento ai Caduti, was often seen on the site.
The name comes from the Roman consul Licinius, who commanded the ancient colony from which Erba arose.
Years of fame and neglect
The «Passion» was the show that tied the theatre’s greatest fame to it, also for the Calvary rebuilt behind the stalls, on steps carved in the rock; in 1955 its two-hundredth performance was celebrated. On the stage, according to Camminacittà, appeared Memo Benassi, Renzo Ricci, Evi Maltagliati, Laura Adani, Salvo Randone, Rina Morelli and Paolo Stoppa. Before 1993, according to the Comune, there were several years of neglect. In 1993 a group of enthusiasts founded the Accademia dei Licini to bring the theatre back to life, and from 2010 it devoted its production to Shakespeare alone, so that the Licinium was presented as the only Shakespearean theatre «under the stars» in Italy; Camminacittà writes that the project was later abandoned.
On restorations too the sources differ: Camminacittà says the theatre was restored in 2014; La Provincia di Como records that it reopened on 25 June 2021 after works begun in July 2020.
Today
The theatre is publicly owned, according to Lombardia Beni Culturali. In summer 2026 it hosted «Estate Teatro Licinium», a festival of shows, concerts and dance by Il Giardino delle Ore carried out with the Comune of Erba; the festival page warns that the theatre is not easy to reach and asks people with disabilities to contact the box office before buying tickets.
On the route
The Licinium is on the Camminacittà route of Erba, in via Crotto Rosa, where the staircase of the Monumento ai Caduti runs beside one of the entrances. The full walk is in the Erba on foot itinerary.
Practical information
- There are two entrances to the area, both in via Crotto Rosa: one with a flight of steep steps, the other with a level avenue at number 2 (Camminacittà).
- The entrances are normally closed, says Camminacittà in the monument’s sheet; some columns of the stage can be glimpsed from the street.
- Programmes and tickets must be sought on the websites of the organisers of each festival: we have not found a permanent official calendar.
Sources
- Camminacittà, sheet Teatro Licinium (path 1, stage 3)
- Camminacittà, Erba path 1, stage 3
- Comune di Erba, Teatro Licinium
- Lombardia Beni Culturali, Teatro Licinium, Largo Clerici (record CO250-00193)
- La Provincia, Esclusivo e unico: il teatro Licinium compie un secolo (2023)
- La Provincia di Como, Lo zampino di Terragni sul palco del Licinium
- Il Giardino delle Ore, Estate Teatro Licinium 2026
- OpenStreetMap, for the position.
