The theatre was commissioned by the local Aristocracy between 1717 and 1723 with the name “Teatro della Nobile Accademia del Casino” in order to address the increasing need for a suitable space to host the many plays and spectacles that cheered up the evenings of its members and many other citizens. The small theatres scattered around the city had become too small for their growing audiences.
It was built in the very centre of the city: Piazza della Repubblica, on Corso Vannucci.
The original structure was entirely made of wood, but it was demolished as early as 1765 for not being suitable for the new theatrical styles, especially for reasons of visibility.
The architect Pietro Carattoli was appointed to design the new theatre and build it in masonry in the typical horse-shoe shape. The project was inspired to Teatro Argentina in Rome.
In the following years the theatre was slightly expanded. In 1816 a first row of stages was built around the orchestra and adjacent structures were added to expand the building, the staircase to the orchestra was enlarged and a storage room was added.
Notable decorations include the parapets painted by Mariotti or the curtain depicting “Turrena admiring the triumph of the Goddess Juno” – whose symbol was the peacock, in Italian: “Pavone”, hence the name of the theatre – by Francesco Appiani.