Teatro Comunale Angelo Masini, Neoclassical opera house in Faenza, Italy
The Teatro Comunale Angelo Masini is a neoclassical theatre in Faenza, built between 1780 and 1787 to Giuseppe Pistocchi's design. Its horseshoe-shaped hall holds 500 seats across a stalls floor, four tiers of boxes and a top gallery, unified by a giant order of columns and pilasters. The second tier's parapets carry gilded terracotta bas-reliefs of mythological and Roman subjects, and the upper tier is lined with statues of Olympian gods and Muses.
Construction began in 1780 to replace a deteriorating wooden structure, and the house opened in 1788 with the opera Cajo Ostilio. This new foundation marked a turning point in the development of city cultural life in the second half of the 1700s.
The venue hosts operas, contemporary performances, and theater productions that shape the cultural life of the city today. Its 500-seat hall draws artists and audiences from across the region and remains a key place for artistic expression.
The theater is located on Piazza Nenni in central Faenza and is easy to reach on foot. The performance schedule changes seasonally, so checking the current program before visiting is worthwhile.
The Galleria dei Cento Pacifici, added to the Ridotto in 1785-86, was designed by Giuseppe Pistocchi and painted throughout, walls and vault, by Felice Giani with the quadraturista Serafino Barozzi; Antonio Trentanove made its large trompe-l'oeil statues. It links the theatre to the neighbouring Palazzo Manfredi.
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