Municipal Theatre Alice Zeppilli

The Municipal Theatre, dedicated to the Italian soprano Alice Zeppilli, is a valuable example of performance place within a public building. Dating back to the first half of the 18th century, the theatre underwent a deep refurbishment in 1856, when typical features “all’italiana” were added, such as the three tiers of boxes and the horseshoe-shaped auditorium. The background of the stage is marked by a unique curtain by Adeodato Malatesta (1806-1891) with the effigy of Aesop talking to the shepherds. While it remained in abeyance for various decades of the 20th century, the theatre was eventually reopened to the public in 2003 with an extensive agenda of shows, concerts and cultural events.

The theatre’s foyers- beautiful frescoed halls with antique furniture- currently host the Music Museum, enriched by a large collection of musical instruments (a special room is devoted to the instruments once employed by Luigi Mozzani), luthiers’ working tools and documents testifying the important musical and violin-making tradition of the territory; at the theatre’s last floor, an exact replica of Alice Zeppilli’s dressing room has been recreated with the original furniture and memorabilia of the famous singer.