Teatro Comunale Angelo Masini

Faenza's Teatro Comunale Angelo Masini is an eighteenth-century neoclassical theatre designed by Giuseppe Pistocchi and decorated by Felice Giani and Antonio Trentanove. Built between 1780 and 1787, it opened in 1788 and was named for the Faentine tenor Angelo Masini in 1903.

Why it matters

The theatre is a major work of Faenza's neoclassical period. Its auditorium, painted decoration and sculptural programme bring together architecture and the applied arts, while its history reflects the city's longstanding musical and theatrical life. The neighbouring Galleria dei Cento Pacifici forms part of the same architectural ensemble.

What to notice

The auditorium has a horseshoe plan, four orders of boxes and a gallery. Antonio Trentanove's work includes sculpted and gilded terracotta decoration, with figures of Olympian deities and Muses along the upper level. Felice Giani painted the theatre's interior, and the vestibule contrasts a large Corinthian order with Tuscan columns. Nearby, the Galleria dei Cento Pacifici was designed by Pistocchi in 1785–86 and decorated by Giani, Serafino Barozzi and Trentanove.

Context and history

Construction began in 1780 on land behind the town hall, promoted by the Accademia dei Remoti, a Faentine society founded in 1673. The theatre opened on 12 May 1788 with Giuseppe Giordani's opera Caio Ostilio, to a libretto by Eustachio Manfredi. Later restoration campaigns included work advised by Filippo Antolini in 1826 and a major conservation and safety project from 1984 to 1990, coordinated by architect Luigi Antonio Mazzoni. The building's dedication to Angelo Masini commemorates the career of a local tenor who performed in major European theatres.