The Eleonora Duse Room is a space permanently dedicated to the memory of the great Italian actress, whose documentary archive is housed at the Institute of Theatre and Opera. Inspired by the model of museum houses, the Room was created in 2011 with the intention of making the extraordinary story of Eleonora Duse and her theatre better known. The ‘Stanza della conservazione’ thus became a living and visitable place, within which – in keeping with the notion of the ‘open archive’ – to promote a diverse range of thematic exhibitions and cultural initiatives.

Today, some ten years later, the Institute wishes to celebrate the history of this place by promoting a temporary exhibition on the relationship between Eleonora Duse and the city of Venice, recalling the activities promoted in the context of this Room over time. The catalogue, published with the contribution of the Veneto Region, thus contains both an in-depth study of the actress’s bond with the Lagoon and a reminder of all the main initiatives staged by the Institute over the years, including exhibitions, meetings, conferences, readings and performances. The many events organised are retraced through a wide-ranging gallery of images, graphics and photographs.