Museo Biblioteca dell’Attore
Museo Biblioteca dell’Attore is a foundation dedicated to promoting the culture of performance arts and studying the history and criticism of theater, stagecraft, and the conditions of Italian actors from the early 18th century onwards.
Museo Biblioteca dell’Attore (MBA) was established in 1966 as a sector of the Teatro Stabile di Genova, initiated by Ivo Chiesa, Sandro d’Amico, and Luigi Squarzina. It houses the papers, books, and theatrical memorabilia of the Salvini family and, in 1967, received the extensive Adelaide Ristori Collection as a donation. Its first location was in Piazza Marsala.
In 1971, the Museum became an autonomous foundation named the “Civico Museo Biblioteca dell’Attore del Teatro Stabile di Genova,” with founding members including the Municipality of Genoa, the Province of Genoa, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Teatro Stabile di Genova.
In 1976, the institution was granted legal recognition.
In 1982, the historic headquarters at Villetta Serra, restored by the Municipality of Genoa, was inaugurated in the presence of Mayor Fulvio Cerofolini.
In 1994, the Liguria Region recognized the Museo Biblioteca dell’Attore as a “Cultural Institution of Regional Interest.”
In 2013, the Museum President secured a new location at Via del Seminario 10 from the Municipality. This new venue is larger and better suited for museum activities, with easy access to the Berio Public Library and the Museum of the Risorgimento, enhancing collaboration between these cultural institutions.
In 2014, the Genoa Chamber of Commerce announced its withdrawal as a founding member.
In 2015, the Province of Genoa was abolished, and its role as a founding member of the Museum was not replaced by other institutions. The only remaining founding members are the Municipality of Genoa and the National Theatre of Genoa.
In 2016, Museum President Eugenio Pallestrini (President since 2007) secured an agreement with the University of Genoa, approved by the Rector Paolo Comanducci, institutionalizing the relationship between the University and the Museum. This agreement was signed by the Municipality, the University, the National Theatre, and the Museum.
In 2022, the Museum organized the bicentennial celebrations of Adelaide Ristori, the primary custodian of her legacy. These events were held in collaboration with the Municipality of Genoa, the National Theatre, and the University. The Ristori Bicentennial became one of two UNESCO Anniversaries in 2022-2023 assigned to Italy, alongside Pasolini’s centenary.
In 2023, Professor Alessandro Tinterri, a theater historian from the University of Perugia, was appointed as Museum Director. The Museum-University agreement was revised and updated, signed by University Rector Federico Delfino and Museum President Eugenio Pallestrini.
STRUCTURE, ACTIVITIES, AND MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
The Museum exhibits the studies of Gilberto Govi, Tommaso Salvini, Sabatino Lopez, Alessandro Fersen, and other significant materials.
The Library specializes in dramatic theater, cinema, and performing arts, boasting over 45,000 volumes and 1,200 journal titles, both Italian and international.
The Archive preserves approximately 72,000 autographs, 69,000 photographs, 1,300 scripts, 4,000 sketches, costumes, original drawings, posters, and more. It also holds 62,000 press clippings and 10,000 theater programs.
The Museum’s collection includes theatrical costumes from Adelaide Ristori and other actors such as Ermete Zacconi, Lamberto Picasso, Sergio Tofano, and Lilla Brignone. These costumes are stored in the Civic Museum Depository and are displayed during temporary exhibitions.
Among the Museum’s collections is an 18th-century puppet theater, the Teatrino Rissone, donated by Checco Rissone and Emi De Sica. It is currently housed at the Edmondo De Amicis Library, Genoa’s largest center dedicated to children and young adult literature, in Porto Antico Area.
To date, the Museum’s library and archival holdings, named after prominent theater figures, number over seventy collections.
The Museum actively promotes theater culture through exhibitions, conferences, book presentations, and collaborations with universities, schools, and institutions.
In 2007, marking 200 years since Garibaldi’s birth, the Museum collaborated with the Teatro della Tosse and the Carlo Colla & Figli Marionette Company of Milan, staging the historical play “Garibaldi: The Hero of Two Worlds.”
In 2010, during a visit to Genoa by President Giorgio Napolitano to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the departure of the Thousand from Quarto, the Museum curated an exhibition in the foyer of Teatro Carlo Felice titled “Adelaide Ristori, Giuseppe Garibaldi e la spedizione dei Mille” showcasing documents and costumes from the Adelaide Ristori Collection.
In 2011, to mark 150 years of Italy’s unification, the Museum organized an exhibition on Tommaso Salvini, an actor-patriot of the Italian 19th-century theater, held at Palazzo Ducale.
In 2016, the Museum participated in celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of the Teatro Stabile di Genova, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Museum’s founding. An exhibition of historic photographs from the Teatro Duse, now acquired by the Museum, was displayed, and the Ormete project (a research initiative on theater memory) was introduced. A conference on the founding of the Teatro Stabile in 1951, organized by the Museum, was also held.
One of the most important exhibitions organized by the Museum was “L’attore, la maschera, il genovese” dedicated to Gilberto Govi, curated by Eugenio Buonaccorsi, and displayed at Piazza Banchi, drawing 31,686 visitors.
Other notable events include the “Teatro Documento”, “Teatro e Società”, and “Spazio Teatrale” series, which brought attention to some of the most important productions staged by the Teatro Stabile di Genova.
The Museum also participated in an event dedicated to Cervantes, promoted by Casa America, featuring an exhibition of ex-libris, readings by students from the Teatro Stabile School of Acting, and a lecture on cinema and Don Quixote by Marco Salotti.
Recent acquisitions include the Lina Volonghi Collection and the theatrical section of Guido Ceronetti’s library.
The proximity of the Museum to the Berio Library has improved communication between the two institutions, while its closeness to the Mazzinian Institute – Museum of the Risorgimento highlights the importance of the Museum’s 19th-century theatrical collections and the role of theater in that historical period.
