Municipal theatre of San Giovanni in Persiceto

In the Eighteenth Century, the Municipal Theater was very popular, as a matter of fact, even Charles de Brosses and Giacomo III Stuart visited the theater. 

The new theater, designed by Giuseppe Tubertini, opened in 1790 although it wasn’t finished yet. It has an U-shaped plan, four levels of stages and a wonderful proscenium. In the Nineteenth-century, the theater was enriched by decorations and paintings by Andrea Pesci and Gaetano Lodi and it was attended not only for theatrical performances but also for civil and patriotic events. 

After the Unification of Italy, the theater became a place for everybody instead of a place for a few. The fourth floor became a gallery with tickets purchasable even for the poorest social classes.

Over time, the theater became the first movie theater of the town and in 1971, after a fire under the orchestra, it was closed. The renovation started in 1982 and the theater reopened again; recently  the orchestra pit has been restored to offer a wider agenda of theatrical performances.