Shakespeariana is a digital archive of images and texts relating to Shakespearean plays, their adaptations and re-writings, both in prose and opera theatre. It is a meta-archive including iconographical and textual materials, from paintings freely inspired by Shakespearean drama to stage photos, from costume sketches to illustrated editions. Documents available in the database cover a chronological span ranging from the early modern period to the present time. The archive offers an overview of visual re-elaborations and illustrations of Shakespeare's plays. The main purpose of the project is to highlight connections between iconographical items and textual adaptations by offering a heterogeneous catalogue of documents. The database currently contains about 18.000 images and related file cards.

The database offers the possibility to carry out a complex system of inquiries: the user can make a single-field search or a combined one, looking for specific or cross-fields data, following a thematic, geographic or chronologic path. The database may result useful for scholars, students and theatre professionals.

Due to the vastness of the project, Shakespeariana is a work in progress which depends on the Laboratorio Teatrale of the Department of Humanities of Trento University. It is carried on by a research team led by Prof. Sandra Pietrini, coordinated by Giovanna Giangregorio and made up by scholars, PhD candidates, graduate and undergraduate students. Many Italian and foreign Institutions cooperate to the project, which has been the starting point for international symposiums and scientific publications.

Please use the top menu item "Basic Search" for a simple and fast access to the archive, or "Advanced Search" for a more accurate image research.