Il Progetto Herla. Un database al servizio della ricerca

The idea for a computer archive containing all documents from the Gonzaga period (1480-1630) concerning theatrical performances was born in 1999, thanks to Umberto Artioli and Francesco Bartoli. This idea led to creation, within the Fondazione Mantova Capitale Europea dello Spettacolo, of the Herla database. The database does not only contain information about theatrical plays stricto sensu, but, rather, on all official occasions which required some degree of staging, involving actors, dancers and musicians. The database contains different kinds of documents (letters, payments, chronicles, notarial acts), kept in Mantua as well as in the archives of Italian and European cities. Herla can be accessed from the page www.capitalespettacolo.it. The essay shows the structure of the database and its researching capabilities in the fields of music and theatre, but also its potential for opening up new lines of inquiry through the comparison of different kinds of documents