The collection conserves hundreds of letters written to the famous actress by Arrigo Boito, D’Annunzio, Pirandello etc., as well as scripts with the changes and notes she made written in the margins.

Information
Institute of Literature, Theatre and Opera
Island of San Giorgio Maggiore – 30124 Venice
tel. +39 041 2710236 – fax +39 041 2710215
e-mail: [email protected]

The Duse Collection may be consulted upon written request and appointment; appointments may be made by contacting the secretary’s office at the Institute

Secretary’s office
tel.+39 041 2710236
fax +39 041 2710215
e-mail [email protected]

---

The Study Centre forDocumentary Research into European Drama and Opera officially opened Eleonora Duse’s Room, a space permanently dedicated to the memory of the great Italian actress.

The idea of creating a room dedicated to the actressstemmed from the desire to make the Eleonora DuseArchive in the Giorgio Cini Foundation a place open to the public, to be visited and explored.

The valuable collection of material kept in the Study Centrefor Documentary Research into European Drama and Opera is a very rich resource for studying the life and art of the fascinating diva who came to Venice in search of acongenial environment and a house, where she then lived for many years.

This new space has been designed to exhibit some of the documents in the rich archive, such as autograph items, including letters, scripts, accounts documents and company registers, as well as original photographs, personal items, clothes and part of her furniture. In addition to the small permanent exhibition intended to recreate a corner of Eleonora Duse’s house, the extraordinary rich documents will make it possible to present and explore various themes related to her art or individual periods in her life. Such themes will also form the guidelines for temporary exhibitions.

The room has been designed to make more use of the invaluable Duse Archive in the Study Centre for Documentary Research into European Theatre and Opera in the Giorgio Cini Foundation.