On September 7, 2026, the cornerstone of the new “Il Ferruccio” Municipal Theater was laid in Empoli. Named after the Empoli-born composer Ferruccio Busoni, the theater will be built as part of the urban regeneration project for Piazza Guido Guerra and is set to become a new cultural and community hub for the city and the Empolese Valdelsa region.

The ceremony was attended by the President of the Tuscany Region, Eugenio Giani; the Mayor of Empoli, Alessio Mantellassi; the Regional Project Manager (RUP), Roberta Scardigli; engineer Giulia Marconcini; architects Marco Casamonti and Laura Andreini of Archea Associati; council members Matteo Bensi and Simone Falorni; and Chief of Staff Giacomo Bini.

The project integrates theater, public space, and landscape, featuring a distinctive curved design inspired by the city’s urban axes and its relationship with the Arno River. The facility will include a main hall with approximately 500 seats, a 150-seat auditorium, and a 260 m² multipurpose space, as well as a foyer and areas for community activities.

Particular attention is given to local identity, with glass—an element of Empoli’s manufacturing tradition—serving as both a material and conceptual reference. The laying of the cornerstone thus marks the concrete start of a project born from an institutional and participatory process, destined to restore to Empoli an important space for culture, entertainment, and community life.