In the nationalist movement of theatrical antiquarianism, plays aimed to immerse audiences in foreign cultures through historically accurate representations on stage. While most times these renderings were of cultures past, foreign actors that embodied an exotic aesthetic, like Tommaso Salvini, were often popular. Did Salvini’s celebrity come from an authentic appreciation and interest in Italy or from a fascination with foreign cultures, deemed peculiar and perhaps even, inferior (as seen in later Orientalist theatre?)