Museo Zeffirelli in Florence renovates Inferno Room for master's birthday

The Museo Zeffirelli in Florence has renovated its Inferno Room, opening to the public on January 20. The room features a complete overhaul of the supports for sketches drawn by Franco Zeffirelli for his unrealized film project on Dante's Inferno, along with a new lighting system. The intervention was strongly desired by Pippo Zeffirelli, president of the Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli, as part of a series of initiatives to honor the artist who died in 2019 and enhance the museum experience. The museum holds sketches, costumes, models, and set photos from Zeffirelli's over 70-year career in theater, opera, and cinema. In 2024, the foundation inaugurated the Viva l'Opera room, where digitalized and animated sketches of ten opera productions are projected to music, including works by Donizetti, Rossini, and Verdi. Also in 2024, the Maria Callas room opened, featuring animated set photos, backstage images, and sketches from Zeffirelli's collaborations with the soprano, including productions at La Scala (1955), Dallas (1958), Covent Garden (1964), and the Paris Opera (1965).