Costituted thanks to the donation to the Municipality of Forlì by the heirs of Angelo Masini (1844-1926) of a substantial collection of memorabilia and memories related to the life and activity of the famous tenor from Forlì, the museum has been housed since the late 1960s in some rooms on the ground floor of Palazzo Gaddi. Increased by other important bequests and deposits and by the material collected by Antenore Colonelli on theatrical activity in Romagna, it holds a heritage of over six hundred and fifty objects. In the room dedicated to Masini, objects and memories of the artistic triumphs of the tenor who sang in the major Italian theaters, but also at the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg and in various South American cities, are exhibited. Adjacent is the area that collects a large number of musical instruments belonging to musicians and concert artists of Romagna or produced by local lutherie. Of particular importance are the bows made by the Paganini family. A string quartet (two violins, a viola, a cello) commissioned by Angelo Masini by Secondo Paganini is exhibited. One of the museum’s rooms is reserved for the soprano from Forlì Maria Farneti (1877-1955), pupil of Mascagni, an artist of refined vocality, among the greatest interpreters of verismo opera. Another section of the museum presents the testimonies of the Teatro Comunale of Forlì, built according to the project of Cosimo Morelli and inaugurated in the spring of 1776, then enlarged and decorated by Gaetano Capizucchi and Mauro Berti in the first half of the 19th century. Posters, leaflets, photographs narrate the life of the theater until its destruction in 1944 due to the collapse of the civic tower mined by retreating German troops. A large hall is dedicated to the Canterini Romagnoli, a musical institution founded at the beginning of the 20th century by Cesare Martuzzi, an innovative musician and refined dialect author. Other areas of the museum refer to Ines Fronticelli Baldelli, known by her stage name Ines Lidelba, the elegant diva of operetta known for her lavish shows, and to the great actor Ermete Novelli, of whom several memories, scripts, travel trunks, and stage costumes are exhibited. The collection of puppets, established by Edgardo Forlai, passionate about puppet theater and an amateur puppeteer, was purchased by the Municipality of Forlì and is currently awaiting a placement that makes it visible to the public. The materials are however available to scholars on request. The collection includes materials from the Bolognese, Modenese, and Bergamasque traditions and consists of about one hundred puppets and marionettes from the sets of Aldo Rizzoli, Demetrio Presini, Bruno Jani, Cesare Maletti, Giorgio Minutoli, Roberto Arbizzani, with costumes made by Marisa Mandrioli. Of particular interest are the two toy theaters with their related marionettes, the wooden puppets originating from Val Gardena, and those of Bolognese terracotta dating from the late 19th century to the 1930s. Completing the collection is a now rare poster by Ciro Bertoni and a puppet booth complete with sets used by Forlai himself.
Information about the Romagnolo Theater Museum
Corso Garibaldi, 96,
47121 Forlì (Forlì-Cesena)
054321109
servizio.pinacoteca.musei@cofo.it
Source: MIBACT
