Anteo Palazzo del Cinema

In 1979, three friends took to a cinema hall with a dream to build the Anteo MusiCineTeatro, which would – as the name suggests – host much more than movies. The building they chose had been in use since the 1930s, first as a single screen cinema, then during wartime as the headquarters of the local Fascist Party. But its revival as a cinema coincided with one of the greatest eras in Italian film.

The era of neorealism was a direct response to the government movie, offering a grittier take on the world that would be celebrated on the arthouse circuit the world over. (The actual Wes Anderson’s nearby Bar Luce takes strong influence from this style.) The MusiCineTeatro provided a space for the Milanese to study these films and the many classics that followed.

Over the years, screens were added to expand their options including the Sala De Amicis – or room of friends – where viewers can see films in two-seater chairs and sofas. Since then, the name changed, the cinema expanded, and now in addition to the silver screen it includes a library, classrooms, and a restaurant. Perhaps a nod to its original multi-talented name.