The Teatro degli Atti is located in the historic centre of Rimini, in via Cairoli 42. It is part of a large building complex, the former Augustinians’ Convent wich rose close to the old church erected around 1069 and devoted to Saint John the Evangelist. In 1256 the church was granted to the Saint Augustin hermits and became known as Saint Augustin Church.
The Augustians smartly resolved to entrust the execution of a cycle of frescoes in their new, rebuilt church to the local pictorial school, recognizing the value of what would later be defined and appreciated as the “the fourteenth-century Riminese School”. As a matter of fact, Giovanni from Rimini, considered as the leader of the artistic movement, used to live in the very district of Saint John the Evangelist, that is, of Saint Augustine.
The former Augustinians’ Convent was partly reconstructed in XVI century and later rebuilt by the architect Giuseppe Achilli after the damages caused by the 1786 earthquake. It is characterized by its large size, the sobriety and balance of its architecture and the presence of vast courtyards.
The Teatro degli Atti was inaugurated in 2001; it takes its name from Isotta degli Atti, wife of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (1470-1468), the famous Lord of Rimini often regarded as the prototype of the Italian Renaissance prince.
It is a modern theater with no curtain, with a seating capacity of 280 including the Stalls and the Gallery. A section of the seating in the stalls can be removed allowing the auditorium to go from seated to flat floor. Moreover the stage, measuring 9,20 metres wide by 6,30 metres deep, can be extended towards the hall, in order to allow different types of shows and staging. Thanks to its porous stone and cherry wood, the auditorium ensures excellent acoustic performances.
Theatre technical rider (in Italian):