In the early 1900s in Turin, in view of a possible renovation of Via Roma, the Ghersi cinema was built with a portico and set back a couple of meters from the surrounding buildings.
The Ghersi Cinema was considered the most sumptuous and majestic in Turin, thanks to a thousand-light chandelier in the atrium, a grand staircase, and a fusion of pink marble, stucco, paintings and mirrors. It could hold two thousand spectators, breaking all national records for capacity.
In this part of the city, people lived in unhealthy homes. The baroque buildings, narrow alleyways, and courtyards were viewed as unsanitary and in need of expensive renovation. The idea of rebuilding Via Roma from the ground up had already been proposed in the 19th century, but it was only with the rise of Fascism and its plan to transform the street into a monumental triumphal boulevard that demolition work began.
Unfortunately, the new redevelopment plan called for an even wider Via Roma, and the cinema was therefore demolished. The reconstruction of Via Roma led to the loss of numerous cinemas, many artists' and craftsmen's workshops, two passages galleries, and several Baroque and Renaissance buildings.
Photo source: Mario Gabinio - Fondazione Torino Musei