Sipario
NOUN [masculine]
Meaning and English translation 🔖
Curtain
🇬🇧 In theaters and other performance spaces, a movable structure placed at the front of the stage to separate it from the audience. It is usually made of a large, often velvet, cloth that is raised or lowered, or sometimes moved sideways, at the beginning and end of performances.
🇮🇹 Nei teatri e in altri spazi per spettacoli, una struttura mobile posta nella parte anteriore del palcoscenico per separarlo dal pubblico. Di solito è costituita da un grande telo, spesso di velluto, che viene alzato o abbassato, o talvolta spostato lateralmente, all'inizio e alla fine degli spettacoli.
| Masculine ♂️ | Feminine ♀️ | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | il - un sipario | - |
| Plural | i - dei sipari | - |
Example sentences 💬
Quando il sipario si è aperto, la scena era mozzafiato.
When the curtain opened, the scene was breathtaking.
I sipari dei teatri antichi erano spesso dipinti a mano.
The curtains of old theaters were often hand-painted.
This article is brought to you by Giulia School, where you can learn Italian the natural way—with real conversations and passionate teachers guiding you every step of the journey. It’s the closest thing to immersion you can get without living in Italy. Click here to learn more.
Idioms with sipario 🇮🇹
Si alza il sipario (su qualcosa)
→ The curtain rises (on something)
Domani si alza il sipario sulla nuova stagione teatrale.
Tomorrow the curtain rises on the new theater season.
Cala il sipario (su qualcosa)
→ The curtain falls (on something)
Con la sua uscita di scena, cala il sipario su un’epoca della politica italiana.
With his exit, the curtain falls on an era of Italian politics.
Where does the word sipario come from? 🔎
Sipario comes from the Latin word siparium, which comes from the Greek word sípharos, indicating a small sail or cover.
Over time, the term evolved to refer to the theater curtain that separates the stage from the audience.
Interestingly, it is unrelated to the word separare [to separate].
Did you know that... 🤓
Impress your italian friends with curious facts about Italy and its culture
Palermo's Politeama, the first show, and its curtain.
We chose sipario as today's word because 150 years ago today, the Teatro Politeama in Palermo was inaugurated, inside which there is a wonderful curtain.
Created by Gustavo Mancinelli in 1891, the painting on the curtain is entitled “Aeschylus at the Court of Hieron of Syracuse” because it depicts Aeschylus, the founder of ancient tragedy, presenting his play before the tyrant Hieron in Syracuse.
The Politeama Theater was inaugurated on June 7, 1874, with Vincenzo Bellini's opera “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” (inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet).
Designed by the young engineer Giuseppe Damiani Almeyda, this large theater was intended to serve as a multifunctional venue for public entertainment. Unlike other theaters that catered primarily to the aristocracy, the Politeama was intended for a wider audience and hosted various performances, including operas, comedies, circuses, and equestrian shows.
The Politeama Municipal Theater was later renamed the Politeama Garibaldi after Giuseppe Garibaldi's death in 1882. The Politeama was Palermo's main opera house for over two decades and remains a key cultural landmark. Its neoclassical architecture, adorned with a triumphal arch and beautiful frescoes, fascinates visitors and locals alike, making it an enduring symbol of Palermo's rich cultural history.
