Giannini Family Marker
The Gianninis were a famed operatic family who lived at this site and established an Italian opera theater, Verdi Hall, down the block: father Feruccio was a tenor; daughter Dusolina was a Metropolitan soprano who first found fame in Europe; and son Vittorio was a composer and teacher at Juilliard and at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute. Verdi Hall opened in 1905 and featured performances and concerts by top Italian entertainers through the late 1920s. It was eventually converted into the neighborhood movie theater and later demolished. The Gianninis also operated a boarding house for Italian immigrants at 7th and Fitzwater.
References
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania. "Bella Vista: Philadelphia's Little Italy." Self-guided walking tour printed guide, Philadelphia, PA: Historical Society of Pennsylvania Honors Summer History Institute, 1983.
- Juliani, Richard N. Building Little Italy: Philadelphia's Italians Before Mass Migration. University Park, PA: The Penn State University Press, 1998.
- Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. "Giannini Family." Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Markers Program. http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?objID=442806&mode=2&open=514&markerId=56
- Time Magazine. "Aida from Philadelphia." Time Magazine, in partnership with CNN, February 24, 1936. Available at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,755865,00.html?promoid=googlep
Map
Map
Address
735 Christian Street (at municipal parking lot)
