Cinema Teatro Aurora

Cinema Teatro Aurora is a municipal multi-purpose cultural venue (spazio polivalente comunale) located in the historic centre of Montecatini Val di Cecina, in the Province of Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. It is owned and operated by the Comune di Montecatini Val di Cecina, the local municipal authority, and functions both as a cinema and as a theatre and community hall. Because it is a publicly owned civic venue rather than a commercial chain, its programming is tied to the cultural and social life of the town and its surrounding area. The building's origins are tied to the local mining community. The structure forms part of a complex that, around 1860, was donated to the Scuola Professionale Femminile (Professional School for Women) of the Montecatini mine so that the school could establish its premises there. The school used the theatre for its amateur dramatic (filodrammatica) activities and for dances. In 1935–36 the hall was extensively renovated when it was converted into a cinema: during these works the stage backdrop was widened and the projection booth was built outside the main façade, creating a small portico. Even in the post-war period, before it was closed for being structurally unsafe, the venue was used mainly as a cinema and for dances. After being acquired by the municipal administration, the building underwent a recovery and restoration project in 1995, designed by the architect Marco Occhipinti, which produced its current form. The reopening to the public after the 1995 restoration was attended by the well-known actor and director Alessandro Benvenuti. Today the venue is used by the municipal administration for film screenings during the winter months and by other associations for cultural initiatives. As a civic cinema-theatre, Cinema Teatro Aurora does not operate as a commercial brand with national retail or product lines; its identity is bound to the town of Montecatini Val di Cecina and to the public cultural offering of the municipality. Its official information is published through the municipal website of the Comune di Montecatini Val di Cecina.

The building that houses Cinema Teatro Aurora forms part of a complex that, around 1860, was donated to the Scuola Professionale Femminile (Professional School for Women) of the Montecatini mine so that the school could establish its premises there. The school used the theatre for its own amateur dramatic (filodrammatica) activities and for dances, making the hall an early centre of local social and cultural life. In 1935–36 the hall was extensively renovated in connection with its transformation into a cinema. During these works the stage backdrop was widened and the projection booth was built outside the main façade, creating a small portico. Even in the post-war period, before the venue was closed for reasons of structural unsuitability (inagibilità), the structure was used predominantly as a cinema and for dances. After being acquired by the municipal administration, the building was subjected to a recovery and restoration intervention in 1995. The project, by the architect Marco Occhipinti, led to the venue's current form. The reopening to the public following the 1995 restoration saw the participation of the well-known actor and director Alessandro Benvenuti. At present the venue is used by the municipal administration for film screenings during the winter months and by other associations for cultural initiatives. As a municipal multi-purpose space, its history is intertwined with that of Montecatini Val di Cecina and its former mining community, and it continues to serve as a civic cultural hub rather than a commercial enterprise.

• 1995

  After acquisition by the municipal administration, the venue underwent a restoration designed by architect Marco Occhipinti, leading to its current form; the reopening was attended by actor and director Alessandro Benvenuti.

• 1935

  The hall was extensively renovated in 1935–36 for its conversion into a cinema, widening the stage backdrop and adding an external projection booth forming a small portico.

• 1860

  The complex housing the theatre was donated around 1860 to the Scuola Professionale Femminile of the Montecatini mine, which used the theatre for amateur drama and dances.

A publicly owned, community-oriented cinema-theatre and multi-purpose cultural venue in the historic centre of a small Tuscan town.

• Winter film screenings

• Theatre and stage performances

• Cultural initiatives by local associations

1. 1Comune di Montecatini Val di Cecinacomune.montecatini.pi.it
2. 2Cinema Teatro Aurora — Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Cinema Teatro Aurora — Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org