Franco Zeffirelli Arts Center Opens in Florence with 3.3M Euro Investment

The Centro delle Arti e dello Spettacolo Franco Zeffirelli in Florence will open on July 31, 2017, housing the director's vast archive of documents, sketches, videos, and photos. The center, located in the Complesso di San Firenze, was funded by 3.3 million euros from the Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus, the City of Florence, Russian entrepreneur Mikhail Kusnirovich, financier Robert Friedland, and sponsors Targetti S.p.A. and Illum S.r.l. The archive and library have been declared of special historical interest by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The center will host exhibitions, educational programs, and training in theater, opera, and cinema, and includes a concert and film screening hall, classrooms, and workshops. The opening will feature a performance by the Voices of Haiti choir with Andrea Bocelli. Zeffirelli, unable to attend the press conference in Rome due to health issues, was represented by Minister Dario Franceschini, Gianni Letta, deputy mayor Cristina Giachi, and singer Claudio Baglioni.