Palazzo San Lorenzo, Cinema and Theater in San Lorenzo

Palazzo San Lorenzo is a hybrid cultural space at Piazza dei Sanniti 9/a, in the San Lorenzo neighborhood of Rome. The former Cinema Palazzo now houses a movie theater, a theater, concerts, a study room and a Hi-Fi Bar/Pub. You get in with the ticket for the individual event, which you can buy online from the links in the schedule, while some initiatives, like the exhibition tied to the film “Il Falsario”, are free to enter.

Language: performed in Italian. No English version or English surtitles are announced.

The motto the operator chose for the website is “Uno spazio, tante vocazioni” (One space, many vocations), and the formula reads well in the calendar: screenings in the original language, film clubs with guests, stand-up comedy, themed parties and acting courses. Data checked on October 19, 2026 on the website and the official channels of Palazzo San Lorenzo.

The building has a history of almost a century, interrupted and resumed several times: it opened as a cinema-theater in 1931 and returned to the public in April 2026 after years of abandonment, occupation and eviction. It's worth knowing before an evening out.

At a glance: address, evenings, admission

• Address: Piazza dei Sanniti 9/a, 00185 Rome, San Lorenzo neighborhood.
• What it is: cinema, theater, concerts, study room, Hi-Fi Bar/Pub, streaming, conferences and training, according to the official presentation.
• Evenings or schedule: the website lists opening Monday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 02:00. The calendar with the individual times is on the Programmazione page.
• Admission: a ticket for each screening or show. The “Il Falsario” exhibition is free. Acting courses require a reservation.
• Getting there: public transport directions are not published by the operator. You can use the ATAC route planner.
• Official contacts: info@palazzosanlorenzo.org and the Instagram profile palazzo.sanlorenzo. The website is palazzosanlorenzo.org.

What Palazzo San Lorenzo is and what you can hear

The most visible part is the cinema. In the October calendar the hall offered “Trainspotting” in the original language, titles such as “Sentimental Value” and “The Nest”, and themed events: the “Cinefemminista” evening with Giulia Cosentino and the “CineBattiamo” series. Some screenings carry the label 151EG, while the ArteSettima collective, a group born online, curates a line of retrospectives and “film events” that puts very different directors side by side, from Stanley Kubrick to Agnès Varda.

The rest of the program is made of different formats. On November 7 there's the comedy show “Strudel” with Filippo Giardina, on November 12 the stand-up of Simonetta Musitano with “Cerco solo divertimento”, and on December 10 “Remuntada” by Xhuliano Dule. On October 31 the hall hosted a horror-themed party titled “Non aprite quelle finestre”, while “Nightmare Before Christmas” is on the calendar for December 20. The website also lists acting courses, the Acting Lab with Stefano Lorenzi, which you attend by reservation.

For live music the formula is that of a hybrid space: the project declares concerts alongside cinema and theater, but the October and November calendar is dominated by films and comedy. For music evenings, check the official schedule and the Instagram profile before deciding.

A fun fact about Palazzo San Lorenzo

The name “Palazzo” is the original one. The cinema-theater in Piazza dei Sanniti opened in 1931, was hit by the bombings of 1943 and rebuilt, and in the 1990s became a billiards hall before being abandoned. A period announcement places in that hall, on May 18, 1940, the film “Inventiamo l'amore” along with LUCE newsreels and the live shows of the theater's company.

In 2011 the building was occupied by residents, artists, students and associations, who turned it into the Nuovo Cinema Palazzo and prevented its conversion into a betting shop. The eviction came in November 2020. In January 2024 the new management was announced, with Davide Dose and Alcazar Live, and on April 19, 2026 the reopening with free admission.

Something nobody tells you about Palazzo San Lorenzo

The old Nuovo Cinema Palazzo and the current Palazzo San Lorenzo are two different projects, with different management, even though they share the building and the memory. If you search with the old name, you find material from the occupied experience, not today's calendar. The only up-to-date source is the website palazzosanlorenzo.org.

A second practical detail: the 10:00-02:00 time listed on the home page is when the space is open, not when the shows start. Each film or evening has its own time and its own ticket, and on the same day there can be three screenings, from late afternoon until 22:30.

Upcoming events at Palazzo San Lorenzo

On the ER site there are already three listings: the horror party Non aprite quelle finestre, the stand-up Cerco solo divertimento by Simonetta Musitano and the show Remuntada by Xhuliano Dule. For films and events, the official calendar remains the source to check.

How do you get to Palazzo San Lorenzo?

The operator does not publish directions by public transport. The most reliable way is to enter Piazza dei Sanniti 9/a in the ATAC route planner. The website doesn't give any accessibility information either: if you have specific needs, you can write to info@palazzosanlorenzo.org before the evening.

My tip for Palazzo San Lorenzo

My advice is to pick the evening from the calendar and arrive a little early, so you can make use of the Hi-Fi Bar/Pub before the screening. If you choose a film in the original language, check that the V.O. label is in the title. For the exhibition tied to “Il Falsario”, open from October 29 to November 5 with free admission, the time slot listed in the calendar is the morning, at 11:00.

The neighborhood around: San Lorenzo

San Lorenzo takes its name from the basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, built in the 4th century at Constantine's will over the martyr's tomb. Outside the Aurelian Walls the area was countryside until the late 1800s. The houses for railway workers, artisans and laborers were built between 1884 and 1888. The neighborhood borders the Verano Cemetery and the University City, built starting in 1933, and it is Rome's university neighborhood par excellence. A broader guide is in the listing San Lorenzo things to see.

Frequently asked questions about Palazzo San Lorenzo

Is Palazzo San Lorenzo a cinema or a theater?

It's both, and more. The website talks about cinema, theater, concerts, a study room, Hi-Fi Bar/Pub, streaming and training. The current calendar is made up mostly of films, events and comedy shows, with some themed parties.

When is it open?

The home page lists opening Monday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 02:00. The times of the individual screenings and shows are instead listed on the Programmazione page and change from day to day.

How do you buy tickets?

The website points to online purchase links next to each event. Prices are not published in the calendar. The “Il Falsario” exhibition is free to enter, while acting courses are booked directly.

Who runs Palazzo San Lorenzo?

The website doesn't name a management company. The 2024 and 2026 news reports cite Davide Dose and Alcazar Live for the relaunch, and the ArteSettima collective for the film program.

Can you study in the space?

Yes, the study room is a declared part of the project. The website doesn't give specific hours or rules for the room, though, so it's best to ask by email before going with a computer and books.

Article written by the editorial team of Tour Leader Pro, contact them for Private/Corporate/V.I.P. Tours and Experiences.

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