Giunti Odeon in Florence
The scenographic rebirth of one of the oldest cinemas in the city
In the center of Florence, the historic and beloved Odeon cinema and theater comes back to life with a double name that reveals its new and multifaceted soul, devoted to culture and beauty in all its forms.
Not only cinema, but also literature, art and entertainment, with a wide and diversified program, and a brand new bistrot, to welcome passionate citizens and passing travelers into its beautifully restored spaces.
Giunti Odeon is the result of a visionary project created thanks to the collaboration of Giunti Editore and the Germani family, who managed the prestigious cinema for 86 years under the Artistic Direction of Gabriele Ametrano.
We wanted to transform this place, so dear to the Florentines, into a space open to the city and culture in all its forms.
(Martino Montanarini, AD Giunti Editore)
The Odeon cinema-theater was built at the beginning of the twentieth century, inside Palazzo dello Strozzino, located right in front of Palazzo Strozzi. The project, realized thanks to the influence of the actress Eleonora Duse on the property, was entrusted to important names in Italian architecture such as Adolfo Coppedé and Marcello Piacentini who completed the work in 1922 supported by Ghino Venturi.
The Palace today boasts one of the most important Art Nouveau rooms in Italy where, for decades, variety shows, revue theater and extraordinary artistic events such as the 1952 duet of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were staged.
The restoration, carried out by the Florentine Benaim studio, brought to light extraordinary period decorative elements such as the fountains, the tapestries and the decorations of the columns. While, the grandiose dome that characterizes the ceiling has been expertly illuminated to emphasize its timeless beauty at every hour of the day.
In this extraordinary setting it is possible to buy a book, attend a screening in the new cinema or a literary meeting or, simply, enjoy the spaces available by working on the computer or taking a break in the bistro on the ground floor.
The Secret
In 1928, in the basement of Palazzo dello Strozzino, a large Bal Tabarin was built, based on the model of the famous Parisian one which opened in 1904, where various art shows took place. The Florentine Bal Tabarin remained active until 1966, the year of the flood in Florence.
Useful Info
Giunti Odeon
Via Degli Anselmi
Piazza degli Strozzi 3-5-7
50123 Firenze
Tel. +39 055 214068