The Maddalena is a center for the production and promotion of contemporary dance that allows young independent creatives to experiment and present their works to a community of attentive and passionate spectators.

 

Already in 2013 the activities of the Association took shape at the former Church of Saint Mary Magdalene with the intention of animating it with artistic and cultural initiatives. In recent years, with renewed momentum and a new partnership, Hangartfest equips the space for theatrical use, making it functional to the arts of the stage and in particular to contemporary dance.

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The Maddalena is entrusted by the Municipality of Pesaro to the care of the Hangartfest Association, which uses it for the the Festival and for the realization of artistic residencies, workshops, video reviews and other activities that it promotes together with its partners.

 

Today, the Maddalena, with a capacity of 99 seats, is a new theatrical space that opens up to the community and is added to the theaters of the city.

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historical notes on the SAINT MARY maGdalenE church

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The church was annexed to the demolished Benedictine monastery which stood in the current Piazza Del Monte; consecrated in 1325, the complex had origins dating back to the 13th century. In 1553 the church became a Sforza mausoleum to house the remains of the family from the church of San Giovanni Battista.

The current layout is the result of the total eighteenth-century restructuring of the church and convent: the church project was signed in 1740 by Luigi Vanvitelli, the famous architect of the Papal State, author of the Royal Palace of Caserta. The rebuilding of the Magdalene, entrusted by Vanvitelli to the pupil Antonio Rinaldi, ends in 1745.

Following the unification of Italy, with the transfer of ecclesiastical assets to the state, a long period of abandonment also began for the church, during which the works that decorated it were alienated, including three altarpieces from Pesaro. Giannandrea Lazzarini. The façade, unfinished in the upper part, is characterized by the concavity of its basin. As in many other contemporary constructions, the material used is terracotta, alternating with the white Istrian stone of the portal. The interior is decorated with stucco sculptures and bas-reliefs by Giuseppe Mazza, a Bolognese artist active in Pesaro also in the church of the Santissima Annunziata.

The restoration by the architect Celio Francioni dates back to 1995, which sanctioned the use of the space as a venue for cultural events; on that occasion, Lazzarini's paintings returned to their original location.  

Text freely taken from: Giovanna Patrignani, Pesaro. The Radio History of the City, Pesaro, Metauro Editions, 2008, pp. 90-91

Link to the website of the Municipality of Pesaro

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