Placed inside the Persiani Theatre, the Museum dedicated to the great tenor Beniamino Gigli from Recanati (1890-1957) was established after the donations by the Gigli family. On display, are different stage costumes of fine workmanship that belonged to the tenor, numerous honors and other memories of his long career. The Museum was inaugurated in 1961 in the halls of the Town Hall when his heirs donated to the city relics, memories, stage costumes, props, decorations, diplomas, photographs and portraits of the famous tenor. In the current set-up also articles and reviews are retained, which have been published in newspapers around the world, documenting the great successes of the singer. The museum has also the record collections of the tenor. The Museum of Guitar, temporarily housed in the Halls of the Town Hall and currently closed awaiting for a new staging, was founded in 2004 from the collaboration between the Municipality of Recanati and the historic producing company of musical instruments EKO. The collection demonstrates the transformations that the territory between Castelfidardo and Recanati have suffered since the end of the 60s of the twentieth century. At that time, in fact, the traditional accordion industry placed around Castelfidardo began to decline. Oliviero Pigini, a native of Crocette di Castelfidardo, converted the industry to produce guitars, having understood the importance that the guitar (especially electric one) was taking among youth audience, thanks to new trends from the United States. The first electric guitars produced by EKO, therefore, were made using previously used materials for the construction of accordions. This made them absolutely different from those produced, for example, in the USA, for their folk-country origin, they were much more basic and aesthetically less attractive. Inside the museum, not to be missed is the classical guitar of 1799 (by the luthier Vincenzo Ceci) which opens the collection, the connection point between tradition and innovation made by Pigini. Interesting is also the first acoustic guitars by Pigini in the late 50s made by the Sicilian luthiers Fratelli Catania, as well as the guitars, well worked and finely adorned, marked GIEMMEI (Italian Musical Toys), the first brand founded by Oliviero Pigini in the field of guitar; the first electric guitars "Ekomaster", in which the origin of the manufacture of accordions is striking; the "Rockes"and "Ranger" guitars, the object of worship by a whole generation of young people; The press campaign of promotion "Stappa Coca Cola" (Drink a Coke), in which EKO guitars, Ducati motorbikes and Philips cassette players were offered as prizes.

INFO

Address: c/o Teatro Giuseppe Persiani - Corso Cavour s.n.c.
City: Recanati (Macerata)
Tel.: +39 071 7570410
Fax: +39 071 7575698
Email: spaziocultura@virgilio.it; info@villacolloredomels.it
Website: http://www.musei.marche.it/web/RicercaMusei/DettagliMuseo/tabid/62/Id/149/RECANATI-Museo-B-Gigli-e-Museo-della-chitarra/Default.aspx