Starting in the second half of the 20th century, Italy experienced a period of economic and productive recovery that led to an increase in consumption and a greater focus on leisure time in the lives of Italians.

The construction of permanent cinemas began in 1905, but by the 1950s they had reached a considerable number. In some cases, these are theatres that undergo architectural modifications in order to be used as cinemas.
The documents preserved at CSAC allow for the identification of different styles of film theatre decoration, such as the ceramic decoration in film theatres by Giovanni Amati, characterised by abstract patterns.

Studio Vasari, in the years between 1953-1960 commissioned by Giovanni Amati, photographed cinemas in the city of Rome. It consists of shots of the interiors and exteriors of buildings, aimed at documenting the architectural models of the expansionist and more popular period of cinema. They can also be useful tools for getting to know the city’s landscape and their spectacle.

These images show the façades of the theatre, with a traditional, almost 19th-century slant, depicting the interior halls with a mainly descriptive perspective. The architecture of the hall is defined by a series of elements that meet the demand for larger, more pleasant rooms. Il cambiamento è ben rappresentato proprio dal cinema Paris, che costituisce un caso studio di primaria importanza.This change is well represented by the Paris cinema, which constitutes a major case study.

Opening on Saturday 22 June 11:00 a.m.

”Archivio Paesaggio. L’Italia del secondo Novecento nelle collezioni CSAC”.

Opening: 14 September