An exhibition in Genoa on Adelaide Ristori, Italy's greatest actress of the 19th century

From September 29, 2022 to January 22, 2023, the Palazzo Nicolosio Lomellino in Genoa presents the exhibition The Costumes of Adelaide Ristori. Theater and Haute C outure curated by Livia Cavaglieri, Danila Parodi and Gian Domenico Ricaldone, with coordination by Paola Lunardini and under the direction of the Actor’s Library Museum.

The exhibition is intended as a tribute to Adelaide Ristori, Italy’s greatest actress of the 19th century, a leading figure on stage and in fashion. Born in Cividale del Friuli two hundred years ago (her bicentennial falls this year), she was the first diva and the symbol of Italian theater, admired for her talent and ability to innovate. It is therefore intended to tell the story of her life and extraordinary career through her costumes. In 1853 she became first actress in the Compagnia Reale Sarda. By 1855, now famous in her homeland, she was enshrined as a star on the international stage in Paris. Tours followed in Berlin, Vienna, London, Madrid, and on to Russia, the United States, and South America. In 1874 she set out on a true world tour that would end in 1876, reaching, by the end of her artistic career, five continents, 33 states and 334 cities, some never before toured by any Italian dramatic company. It was she herself who recalled every detail of this incredible journey: “On this artistic tour I traveled, I record this as a curiosity, 35,283 miles of sea, 8,365 of land. I stayed 170 days at sea. I spent 17 days and eight hours by rail. In a word, I left Rome on April 15, 1874, and returned there by the Indies route to Brindisi on January 14, 1876: the journey thus lasted 20 months and 19 days.”

The exhibition at Palazzo Nicolosio Lomellino presents twelve stage costumes, to which are added archival materials such as letters, playbills, posters, sketches, and photographs that belong to the Adelaide Ristori Fund.

The exhibition project takes visitors through the story of what 19th-century theater was like and the role of Adelaide Ristori, with special attention to the emotional aspect. The installation amplifies the theatricality of the rooms of Palazzo Lomellino: the stage costume comes back to life in an aristocratic palace that Adelaide probably had the opportunity to visit during her stays in Genoa.

“The theatrical costume is a fragile object that rarely survives wear and tear, decay and dispersion. Among Ristori’s ingenious insights was to preserve stage clothes, accompanied by loose pieces of clothing, shoes, jewelry, fans and objects,” the curators explain. “While the rarity of the material alone makes the Ristori collection an exceptional case, the beauty of the gowns, the fine workmanship, the overall sartorial quality and the uniqueness of the pieces make this legacy truly extraordinary.”

Adelaide Ristori was the first Italian actress to take care of her own costumes with care and precision, designing them herself or entrusting their creation to famous tailors, not only theatrical. The actress imposed the custom of using costumes designed from scratch for each performance, at a time when it was customary to reuse the same costumes, with minimal adaptations, for different shows.

Contributing to the success of his style was his choice to rely on Charles Frederick Worth, the first designer to introduce the strategies of the future fashion system, by having the models parade in advance of the season making use of female models and signing the clothes, affixing a label with his label. Among others, Adelaide Ristori also availed herself of Delphine Baron, figurineist for the Paris Opera House and stylist for Maison Moreau, and the Romantic painter Ary Scheffer. Ristori was thus a pioneer in linking the world of theater to the birth of haute couture.

The bicentennial has been included by UNESCO in its Anniversaries 2022-2023 program. The exhibition is part of an extensive calendar of events and initiatives as part of the Adelaide: 200 Years on the Stage project, which includes the play Lady Macbeth. Suite for Adelaide Ristori (with Elisabetta Pozzi, directed by Davide Livermore and dramaturgy by Andrea Porcheddu, a Teatro Nazionale di Genova production) and the international conference Adelaide Ristori and the Great Actor, curated by the Universities of Genoa and Milan-State.

The project was made possible thanks to the Museo Biblioteca dell’Attore (MBA), which preserves the Adelaide Ristori Fund, the subject of a recent reorganization sponsored by the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendence of Liguria. At its side are the City of Genoa, the National Theater of Genoa and the Department of Italianism, Romance, Antiquity, Arts and Performing Arts (DIRAAS) of the University of Genoa, exceptional partners for an initiative that aims to turn the spotlight on the different souls of Adelaide Ristori: not only a great actress, but also an ambassador of the Risorgimento idea and an example of an entrepreneur, traveler, and style icon.

The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Palazzo Lomellino Association, with contributions from the Region of Liguria, Genoa Chamber of Commerce, Esselunga - institutional sponsor of the City of Genoa, and the CARIGE Foundation.

For more info: www.museoattore.it

Hours: Tuesday to Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Tickets: Full 8 euros, reduced 6 euros.

An exhibition in Genoa on Adelaide Ristori, Italy's greatest actress of the 19th century

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