Alice Zeppilli Communal Theatre

The 16-17th century Palazzo Comunale (City Hall) of Pieve di Cento houses the ancient Legal Archive as well as the Teatro Zeppilli, modified in 1856 and than renovated.

The most recent work has restored the stalls and foyer to their original functions. The original furnishing has also been restored, as well as the painted sections and the stuccoes. The theatre, with 149 seats, hosts theatrical and musical activities, conventions, conferences and shows.

The use of the Theatre of the "Palazzo Pubblico" for theatrical and musical performances started in 1785. From then on, although in a temporary manner, the theatre was regularly used until 1852, with a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Ernani. In the meantime, the community of Pieve considered the idea of building a new theatre, intended as an autonomous structure.

The high costs of such a project led to the decision to restructure the existing one, entrusted to the engineer from Cento, Antonio Giordani, who would later also design the theatres of Cento and Crevalcore, as well as that in Maracaibo in Venezuela. For this theatre, Giordani adopted the consolidated style of the ''teatro all'italiana''. The decoration is simple but elegant. The curtain, which is still preserved, portrays Aesop talking to the shepherds.

The theatre was inaugurated in August 1856 with productions of Il Trovatore and Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi. Closed in 1929, it remained largely unused for many years until, completely renovated, it was once more inaugurated on the 6th December 2003 with a concert. The various rooms of the theatre, which house an extensive collection of string instruments, also contain photographs and personal objects belonging to the soprano Alice Zeppilli.

The remaining area houses a small Music Museum, with articles from the life of Alice Zeppilli, as well as documents and musical instruments from the lute-makers' workshop.

The theatre boasts a richly varied theatrical season, including the "Tracce di teatro d'autore", a festival which intends to bring contemporary theatre near to people.

The theatre also hosts a large number of initiatives, such as musical events and meetings.

Number of seats: 149.