In 1846 Carlo Re ceded management of the theatre to the actor and later to the former singer Teresa Cesarani. During the revolution of 1848, the theatre's repertoire oriented towards works with patriotic themes, such as Silvio Pellico's play "Francesca da Rimini". The "Palestra parlamentaria", a group of journalists, lawyers, and artists who supported the first Italian war of independence, held its first public meetings at the theatre in May 1848.