Artificerie Almagià

From “sulphur warehouse”, in the centre of a major industrial complex which also included a refinery, to archaeological industrial ruin. Then the revival and transformation into a multi-purpose hall for shows and small theatre productions, conferences and conventions. This is the path traced by the complex on the right bank of the Candiano river, built in 1887 for Vito Almagià’s establishment, designed by Giuseppe Castellucci. The factory was in business for nearly a century, then everything came to a stop. Pesticides and other derivates, produced after World War II, were no longer in use in Agriculture. But the building was architecturally significant: the layout resembles that of a basilica with a central nave, two side naves, and a colonnade on each of the two shorter sides. The supporting structure is made entirely of brickwork, both inside and outside. Leaving it in ruins did not make any sense. Therefore the area was included in the urban redevelopment plan of the City’s Harbour. Meanwhile, Fondazione Ravenna Manifestazione grasped its potential and, like it has done before and continues to do for other areas of the city, decided to take advantage of it. Therefore, in 1996, Ravenna Festival chose it as the venue for the theatrical opera debut of “All’Inferno!” (To Hell!): the smell of sulphur that still permeated the bricks of the walls was a great asset for the show, written and directed by Marco Martinelli. Three years later the City Council bought the former warehouse, restructuring and redeveloping it. Today it can accommodate up to 300 viewers, and is a beautiful and charming area. It is a reference point for modern dance events, animation theatre, experimental theatre, and sometimes seems to regain the “alchemical” (chemical) character of its origins, proposing cultural “experiments”.
Since 2009, the venue has been managed by Fanny & Alexander/E Production.

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