The Ridotto was conceived as a connecting structure between Palazzo Manfredi – the city hall – and the Teatro Masini, designed between 1785 and 1786 by architect Giuseppe Pistocchi.
The Ridotto includes several rooms linking the Theatre and the Palazzo, with barrel-vaulted ceilings and some walls covered with fabric and stucco frames, originally intended for gatherings alongside theatrical activities. During recent restorations, a mural from 1899 by Faentine painter Achille Calzi was uncovered.
The main room is the Galleria dei Cento Pacifici, named after the city magistracy once seated there, where painting and decoration blend into a harmonious ensemble of great visual impact. The gallery is decorated by Felice Giani in his first Faentine commission, in collaboration with quadraturist Serafino Barozzi and large statues by Antonio Trentanove, author of the imposing crown of caryatids that characterizes the Teatro’s loggione.
