Teatro di Fiesole

Teatro di Fiesole is a 312-seat auditorium beside the town’s Roman theatre and sports grounds. Its design centres on movable acoustic sails and views across the valley towards Florence.

Why it matters

After the Garibaldi cinema was demolished in the late 1970s, Fiesole lacked a modern theatre. Architect Emilio Guazzone proposed a replacement in a 1995 thesis; after a long design and construction process, the venue was completed in 2022. Its auditorium provides a contemporary performance space beside the ancient Roman theatre.

What to notice

The auditorium’s double-sided acoustic sails combine wood and iron with sound-absorbing material, allowing the room’s acoustics to be adjusted for different performances. The rear of the stage uses Manfred Schroeder’s sound-diffusion principle. The stage has a nine-metre proscenium opening, is twelve metres wide and seven and a half metres deep, and sits beneath a 9.4-metre grid. A glazed first-floor area looks towards the Fiesole hills, and the foyer also serves as an exhibition space. The auditorium includes two wheelchair positions.

Context and history

Guazzone proposed a new theatre in 1995 after the loss of the old cinema. A feasibility commission followed in 1996, and a 312-seat design was delivered in 2002. In 2003, the executive-design tender went to architects Blasi and Sylos Labini; Guazzone challenged the award and later took artistic direction of the project. Work largely stopped from 2006 until it resumed under Mayor Anna Ravoni, and the theatre was completed in 2022. Teatro di Fiesole srl manages the venue with support from Fondazione CR Firenze.