The Odeon Cinema and its history

The Renaissance palace where the Odeon is located, now called Palazzo dello Strozzino, was a property of the wealthy Strozzi family, this was true for the majority of the buildings that surrounded Piazza Strozzi and for those in the street that is now via Monalda. It does not come as a surprise, after all, the Strozzi were one of the most important and ancient families of Florence, rich bankers that had gained power in the Tuscan city and enemies of the great Medici Family.

The construction of the Palazzo dello Strozzino began towards 1457 following a design by Filippo Brunelleschi, but several architects including Michelozzo, intervened.

Once complete the palace was very large and occupied a whole block, with 121 rooms and a courtyard, surrounded by an elegant porch with columns.

During the works for Florence Capital (started in 1865) the area was deeply changed, and the palace was partially demolished to widen the nearby streets.

With the extinction of the Strozzi branch during the nineteenth century, the palace passed into the hands of several different owners.

In 1904, it was purchased by the Chiari family with the intention of building a luxury hotel, but in 1914, at the suggestion of Eleonora Duse, they decided to create an elegant theater instead. In 1919, the property was acquired by the Italo-American Cinema Company and on December 14, 1922, the venue was finally inaugurated.

The large cinema hall combines the structure of the theater with that of the modern cinemas.

Topped by a large dome of colored glass, the hall features a rich decorative apparatus that include the white and golden stuccoes of the columns, three golden wood statues of Muses on top of the boccascena, and the large golden plaster decoration on the wall of the upper gallery, creating a refined venue of déco inspiration.

In 1934, the first screening in Florence of a movie with sound was held here. After World War II the theater became a cinematic venue only, but it had the chance to host the occasional spectacular event, such as the unforgettable concert of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong in 1952. Over the years many famous stars have walked through the Odeon Cinema throeshold: Alberto Sordi, Nino Manfredi, Kenneth Branagh, Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, Bernardo Bertolucci, Gabriele Salvatores, Giuseppe Tornatore, Roberto Benigni, Ferzan Ozpeteck, Carlo Verdone, Paolo Sorrentino, Leonardo Pieraccioni and many more. .

The Renaissence palace, changed dramatically over time, and the private home of one of the most powerful families of Florence, became a beautiful cinema, precious example of 1920’s déco architecture and meeting place of people from all over the world.

This is proof that everything in Florence, even cinemas, have a history to reveal!