There is a theater in Modena, whose construction was designed for the people, to represent shows of all kinds. And above all its creator, the merchant Gaetano Storchi, wanted to create a place that for charity would raise funds for the sick and needy, through the use of some sums obtained from the proceeds of the evening shows. An ambitious idea that hides the long and complex history of the Storchi theater in Modena, which took its name from its creator. The merchant also wanted to give life to an Opera Pia with the aim of helping the sick and people in difficulty. Many years have passed since that original idea. But the initial idea of ​​a theater for the people of Modena remains. So much so that today the Storchi is precisely the theater par excellence of prose for the people of Modena.

Lo Storchi the Modena theater
Photo source Facebook page of the Storchi Theater

Lo Storchi, the Modena theater with two facades

This place is not just the theater designed for the people. There are many curiosities concerning him. One among all the one on its double facade. The benefactor who wanted to build the theater, financing it at his own expense, Gaetano Storchi, had the work designed by Vincenzo Maestri. We are in the second half of the nineteenth century and the need arose in the city to have a theater intended for escapist and popular shows, following the demolition of the provisional arenas built on the ramparts of the city and the fire of the Aliprandi Theater. But the site chosen for the theater is particular. In fact, the Storchi was built with an original architectural structure: it has a double facade. One is the main one, to the north, towards Piazza Garibaldi. But there is a second one, the western one, towards the promenade of the walls. It is suggestive: in fact it has a Greco-Roman style that recalls the style of the ancients theaters.

The first failures to the structure

But soon, unfortunately, the problems began, on a structural level. The ground was unstable and the material used was poor. And even the decorations were not the best. On 24 March 1889 the inauguration of the Storchi. The opera "Curious women" by Emilio Usiglio was staged. The room had a basin cover painted by Fermo Forti depicting Gioacchino Rossini and Carlo Goldoni. In the atrium of the building there is also a plaque that the sculptor Silvestro Barberini dedicated to the Modenese actress Virginia Reiter.

The glimpse of it
A glimpse of the theater. Image from Wikipedia: Lorenzo Breviglieri - Own work CC BY-SA 3.0

The many recovery interventions

A few years later, however, renovations were started, necessary for some failures in the vault and the bad acoustics of the theater. And over the years there have been many interventions to put it back on track until 1986. And there was also a bad parenthesis in the history of this theater. In fact, in 1967 it was decided to sell it because it paid little; even to demolish it. But soon the Ministry of Public Education at the request of the Superintendency of Monuments of Emilia Romagna subjected the building to historical constraint. And so in 1981 the Municipality of Modena took over the direct management.

The video presentation of the theater

Storchi today

Despite the troubled history, today the Storchi is one of the most important cultural realities for the city. Prose, magazine, opera, concerts, have marked the history of the hall. Today the theater is managed by ERT, a sector body. There are many seasons promoted by prose posters, musical theater, reviews for schools and families. This year's season is very rich, which again in presence, with the necessary provisions Anticovid. But the theater restarts with big names like Fabrizio Gifuni, Silvio Orlando, Anna Foglietta and Paola Minaccioni. Appointments to follow for those who are in the city.

Photo source: Lorenzo Breviglieri - Own work CC BY-SA 3.0

Lo Storchi, the prose theater of the city of Modena last edit: 2021-09-18T09:00:00+02:00 da Federica Puglisi

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