The theatre
The "Verdi" of Florence
It is the largest “Italian-style” theatre in Tuscany (at the time of its construction it was among the seven largest in Italy). Throughout the years, it has kept its main characteristics intact, namely that of being a large popular theatre in the centre of the city, open to all genres of entertainment. Founded as the Pagliano Theatre on the remains of the fourteenth-century Carcere delle Stinche, it was inaugurated on September 10th, 1854 with Verdi’s opera Rigoletto or, as it was called at the time, Il Viscardello. Its creation is the result of the desire of a former baritone pharmacist Girolamo Pagliano who wanted a performance space designed for the people. In 1901, after being named after Luigi Cherubini, it took the name of Teatro Verdi. Its story begins with the great season of melodrama of the late nineteenth century and its charismatic protagonists and continues with the turmoil of the futurist avant-garde movement. From the new operetta genre of the 1920s, we come to the post-war period with jazz and the revue all the way up to the new actors who inaugurated the rebirth of comedy in its many forms. In the 1970s and 1980s, Teatro Verdi became a prestigious stage for the most sophisticated pop and rock music and for unconventional drama. Since January 1998 it has been owned by the ORT Foundation, home to rehearsals and concerts of the Orchestra della Toscana. Since then, the Verdi has welcomed classical music with great conductors and world-famous musicians and has reached the present day, following a course that has never been interrupted and that links the history of the theatre to the history of Florence. Thanks to the theatrical companies Antico Teatro Pagliano, which runs the theatrical season, and PRG which organises pop and rock music events, the Verdi still offers an extremely varied programme in terms of quality, genres, and number of events scheduled.
Characteristics: Italian-style theatre with stalls, gallery (former royal box) and six tiers of boxes
Capacity: 1,538 seats in total (of which 808 in the stalls, 125 in the gallery, and 605 in the six tiers of boxes).
The plan of the theatre is available here
Teatro Verdi is located in the city centre, in the historic Santa Croce district.
On foot, and in just a few minutes’ walk from the theatre, it is possible to reach all of the most important monuments and buildings in Florence.
The main entrance is at no. 99 of via Ghibellina.
The artists’ entrance and loading/unloading is in via Isola delle Stinche.
The offices of the ORT Foundation are at no. 5 of via Giuseppe Verdi.
Gli uffici della Fondazione ORT sono in via Giuseppe Verdi, 5
The offices of the Antico Teatro Pagliano are at no. 101 of via Ghibellina.
Regulations and services
■ Smoking is strictly forbidden in all spaces of the theatre. Violators will incur the penalties established by law.
■ In order to ensure the decorum in the house, it is not permitted to bring drinks or food inside; they must be consumed in the foyer.
■ Animals, bulky bags and suitcases, umbrellas, and anything else that impedes or creates an obstacle to the normal access and flow of the public are not allowed inside the house. For the same reason, the position of the stall chairs must not be changed.
■ Spectators are required to respect the starting times of the shows; access to the house is regulated exclusively by the staff in charge and will be permitted, with due respect for other spectators, at the appropriate time. However, reaching the reserved seating is not guaranteed.
■ To protect copyright, audio recordings, and video recordings, as well as photographs, are strictly forbidden. The audience is kindly requested not to use cell phones during the show.
■ In order to guarantee the privacy of the artists and for safety reasons, the public is not allowed in the dressing rooms.
■ For safety reasons, a closed-circuit TV system is in operation inside the theatre.
■ There is a cloakroom in the theatre which the public can use for a fee; it is located on the right immediately beyond the entrance.
■ Cushions are available in the cloakroom to raise the seat and improve children’s visibility. This service is free, an identity document is required
■ The renting of binoculars is temporarily suspended in compliance with Covid regulations
■ There is a café inside which is managed by Globe Ltd.
■ Toilets are located in the foyer and on each tier of boxes
■ There is an automatic taxi call service and usually a steward service is available at the end of events.