▁Category : A ts imo - And ref ana <0x0A> </s> ▁The at res ▁for ▁diverse ▁musical ▁and ▁dram atic ▁present ations ▁began ▁to ▁open ▁in ▁Nap les , ▁Italy , ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 6 th ▁century ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁general ▁Spanish ▁cultural ▁and ▁political ▁expansion ▁into ▁the ▁kingdom ▁of ▁Nap les , ▁which ▁had ▁just ▁become ▁ ▁a ▁vic ere alm ▁of ▁Spain . ▁None ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁the aters ▁still ▁function ▁as ▁such , ▁having ▁been ▁replaced ▁by ▁later ▁facilities ▁from ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 th ▁century ▁on wards . ▁Ne ap ol itan ▁the at res ▁first ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries ▁include : ▁ ▁Teatro ▁della ▁Comm edia ▁Vec chia ▁ ▁Bu ilt ▁around ▁ 1 5 5 0 , ▁the ▁Comm edia ▁Vec chia ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁public ▁theatre ▁in ▁Nap les . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁professional ▁home ▁to ▁acting ▁tr oup es ▁from ▁Spain ▁" play ing ▁the ▁provinces ," ▁and ▁it ▁provided ▁a ▁stage ▁for ▁the ▁impro vised ▁ant ics ▁of ▁the ▁mask ed ▁and ▁cost umed ▁figures ▁in ▁the ▁then ▁innov ative ▁Italian ▁comm edia ▁dell ' arte . ▁In ▁its ▁he yd ay , ▁the ▁theatre ▁was ▁so ▁successful ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁put ▁a ▁tax ▁on ▁their ▁proceed s ▁to ▁fin ance ▁the ▁Casa ▁dei ▁In cur ab ili , ▁a ▁home ▁for ▁people ▁with ▁in cur able ▁dise ases . ▁The ▁theatre ▁was ▁acquired ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 7 ▁by