Overview
Inside the City Hall building is the municipal theatre dedicated to Alice Zeppilli, soprano and wife of Giuseppe Alberghini, a cellist of Pievese origin, both protagonists of an artistic life that has touched the most prestigious theatres in the world, especially in the United States where they have lived for a long time. A place of shows inside a public building is a not very widespread example. The use of the hall for theatrical and musical performances began in 1785 and lasted until 1852, when it was decided to fix it up by entrusting the work to the engineer Antonio Giordani, who adopted the 'Italian-style theatre' typology. The decoration is simple but elegant and the curtain, still preserved today, depicts Aesop talking to the shepherds, the work of Adeodato Malatesta. The theatre reopened in August 1856 with Verdi's Il Trovatore and Rigoletto. With the advent of fascism and war, it lost more and more importance until it became a camp for German troops. Recovered in 1981, then expanded in the early 2000s with new spaces and facilities, it was again inaugurated on 6 December 2003 with a concert. The Museum of Music is housed in the foyers of the theatre. With testimonies and musical instruments on display, it tells the story of musical life in Pieve di Cento from ancient times to the present day. From the bell tower tradition to the band, from the numerous luthier shops to the Lutemaking School. A large room is dedicated to the collection of instruments made by Luigi Mozzani, a luthier and guitarist of great fame and skill. On the second floor, a room also houses the Zeppilli collection, where, along with memorabilia of the soprano and her cellist husband Alberghini, a dressing room with the famous singer's original furniture and accessories has also been reproduced.
