Spectacle in Renaissance Theater

Abstract

During the Renaissance, the rediscovery of the buildings and plays of classical antiquity, as well as ancient treatises on poetry and architecture, led to a shift away from the traditions of medieval religious drama. Works such as De re aedificatoria by Leon Battista Alberti and the Secondo libro di Perspettiva by Sebastiano Serlio aimed to create a harmonious fusion of classical elements and innovation resulting from the use of perspective in stage design. Over the course of the sixteenth century, theatrical machinery and staging then became increasingly complex and spectacular all over Europe. Finally, alongside practical scenic solutions came the development of theories of spectacle, such as those of Giambattista Giraldi Cinthio, Leone de’ Sommi, and Angelo Ingegneri.