Teatro Ermanno Fabbri

Vignola's Teatro Ermanno Fabbri, inaugurated in 2010 after eight years of construction, was funded by a donation from the Fabbri family and entrusted to Emilia Romagna Teatro. The building combines a contemporary stage with a museum of cinema history.

Why it matters

Named for Vignola industrialist and patron Ermanno Fabbri, the theatre was built as a contemporary performance venue. The Fabbri family's donation, together with contributions from Emilia Romagna Teatro, municipal administrations and the Fondazione di Vignola, supported a purpose-built complex with stage machinery and lighting systems.

What to notice

The theatre's architecture and technical systems reflect its design as a contemporary performance building rather than a historic hall. Its stage machinery and lighting controls allow flexible theatrical configurations. A room in the building houses the Museo del Cinema Antonio Marmi, with magic lanterns and other pre-cinema devices, bringing performance and early moving-image history together in the same complex.

Context and history

Vignola's theatrical life had long relied on improvised venues and smaller halls. The new theatre gave the town a purpose-built stage and placed the Fabbri name within its civic history. Emilia Romagna Teatro Fondazione was entrusted with management from the opening, while the Comune owns the building and the Fondazione di Vignola supported the project. The cinema museum, created in 2013, forms a complementary part of the complex. The theatre represents a contemporary layer in a town otherwise known for medieval and Renaissance monuments.