Teatro Girolamo Magnani, Neoclassical theatre in Fidenza, Italy.
Teatro Girolamo Magnani is a neoclassical opera house in Fidenza featuring symmetrical architectural elements and decorative details, accommodating around 430 spectators. The interior spans multiple levels and includes a restored acoustic chamber designed to enhance sound quality.
The theatre was built on the site of the church of San Francesco, demolished around 1860. Architect Nicolò Bettoli began work in 1813, but funding ran out; a storm destroyed the roof in 1835. The municipality bought the ruins in 1848, and engineer Antonio Armarotti resumed construction in 1854. It opened on 26 October 1861 with Verdi's Il Trovatore.
The theatre is named after Girolamo Magnani, the Fidenza-born set designer who painted its interior decorations with Giuseppe Giacopelli and Francesco Spada and died in September 1889; the city renamed it in his honour that same year. His frescoes remain in the foyer and on the hall's ceiling.
The theatre stands at Piazza Giuseppe Verdi 1, on the square behind the Palazzo Comunale, a short walk from Fidenza's centre. The entrance opens through the three-arched portico of the neoclassical facade. The auditorium is reached by stairs between the tiers of boxes, so allow time to climb to the upper levels.
Behind the stage, the theatre keeps 19th-century stage machinery and a painted backdrop by Dino Mora from the early 20th century, restored in 2014. Ten wooden boards painted by Girolamo Magnani, recovered in 2011, form the old acoustic chamber.
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