Biblioteca Museo Teatrale SIAE
SIAE theatre library and museum in EUR, with the collection of Luigi Rasi, puppets, costumes and actor portraits; visits by appointment.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The SIAE Theatre Library and Museum (Biblioteca e Museo teatrale della SIAE), of the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers, has been open to the public since 1932. Its original core comes from the collection of Luigi Rasi (1852–1918), an actor, theatre scholar and long-time director of the acting school in Florence. The catalogue of his collection was published in 1912, but not all the pieces described are now found in the catalogues of the library and museum.
Other important collections were added over time, including the library of Cesare Levi, the Capranica archive and the library of Carlo Emilio Gadda. The library holds around 50,000 volumes, from 16th-century editions to contemporary ones, as well as about 400 periodical titles, an archive of prints and drawings rich in material on the commedia dell’arte, a photographic archive, scripts and manuscripts, posters, programmes and over 570,000 press cuttings.
The museum section includes paintings, busts and statues of actors and playwrights, puppets and marionettes, costumes and stage props. Among the more unusual items is a small group of 18th-century Chinese rod marionettes, bought by Rasi during a journey to China.
Highlights
- Luigi Rasi collection
- 18th-century Chinese rod marionettes
- Paintings, busts and statues of actors and playwrights
- Costumes and stage props
- Library of around 50,000 volumes and archive of prints and drawings
Permanent exhibition
- Sezione museale – Paintings, busts and statues of actors and playwrights, puppets and marionettes, costumes and stage props related to the history of Italian theatre.
- Founded
- 1932
- Operated by
- SIAE – Società italiana degli autori ed editori
Admission & discounts
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | Consultation requests are made by filling in the form and writing to biblioteca.teatrale@siae.it. Material in the reading room can be collected and returned directly by visitors. |
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