We'll try, with a few lines, to synthesize the long History of the Association "Filarmonica Gaetano Donizetti" of Montaione, which was founded in 1832, thanks to the lawyer Antonio Biagiuoli, Mayor of Montaione. In a letter adressed to the President of the "Buon Governo" (Good Government) of St. Miniato, the lawyer Biagiuoli explains that the idea to create a "moral body of amateurs of music" has been necessary to stop the fights among the various families of Montaione.
Subsequently, January 20 th 1854, the organ of government approved the deliberation nr. 13 with the object "Entreaty of the Philarmonics in Montaione". In 1856 the "Musical Band", so defined, asked the town administration for a contribution in order to purchase the instruments, and together with this request the publication of the Statute took place.
Moreover, on the basis of historical documents, we have ascertained that in 1858 the Band was conducted by Professor Paoli of Florence.
Subsequently, at the beginnings of 1861 the partners of the Band asked the town administration to entrust itself with a third of the expenses, to purchase the uniforms for their own components.
In 1887 the Society asked the municipality for a ground of 510 square meters to build the theater, which became also one of the most ancient centers of our association.
In the year 1890 a contest was announced for the Maestro of the Band; The competitors were 11, and the Maestro Tito Belati was named conductor. Tito Belati, who later was to conduct The Philarmonic Band of Lyon in France, is also known to have founded in Perugia the first publishing-house for band-music.
AAt the beginning of '900, the Band was asked to play in occasion of patriotic holidays, and in the following years for the holidays and demonstrations of the Regime; later, then, for religious holidays and funerals. In a short time the Band happened to be formed of 40 musiciens, 77 fellows and 20 students in the school of music.
When the military front of the Second World War passed through, the house where the musical instruments were deposited went destroyed, but thanks to the struggle of the musicians, who went digging among the ruins, and succeeded in recovering them.
Despite the difficulties of the postwar period, the interruption of musical exhibitions was short. In fact, already in 1948 the Band succeeded in recovering the staff and started to play again with the care and zeal already known by the citizens.
In the years after the war. the seats of the Band have been various: from the rooms of the Palazzo Pretorio to the Theater, later to the Chiesa delle Suore (Church of the Nuns), and then to the old Palaestra in Via del Sole. Finally, in 1983 the Municipality set up the actual seat of the Band inside the Scholastic Village.
The Maestri who followed starting from the postwar period, are: Maestrelli Palmiro, Lotti Giovanni, Gelichi Ilio, Cetti Giuliano e Bastianoni Fabio.
Maestro Cetti has been in charge of this assignment from 1974 to 2014, while continuing the school. In 1991 the town administration has conferred him the honorary citizenship. Maestro Bastianoni was in charge since 2014.
In 1980 the group of the Majoretteses was formed, directed, since then till today, by: Panchetti Silvia, Bibbiani Marisa, Renieri Valeria, Migliori Serena, Cappellini Sabrina, Mauceri Sara, Faustino Annalisa, Cinelli Elena, Orsi Sara and Brogi Elena.
In 1984 the "Filarmonica Gaetano Donizetti" returned the visit of the French Brass-Band "Esperance-Rignaçoise", going to Rignac for the Flower-Festival.
Among the various participations of the Band to Folklore-Festivals, those of the "Rificolona di Lastra" at Signa, the Carnivals of San Gemignano, Vaiano, Santa Croce sull'Arno, Viareggio, Stia etc…
In the year 2000, on the occasion of the Jubilee, the Filarmonica took part in two very important Gatherings of National Bands: the 7th of May in Florence and the 17th of December in Saint Peter Square.
In the year 2003 a link was established with the Musical Band Giuseppe Verdi of Venaria Reale (Turin) and it was then consolidated in the course of the years thanks also to the participation of our Filarmonica to their 130th Anniversary of their foundation (2005). In the following years the "Filarmonica G. Donizetti" has taken part to other events of national level as:
- Evening Concerts in Piazza della Signoria at Firenze;
- Gathering of Bands at Lucca;
- Gathering of National Bands at Mirabilandia;
- Interprovincial Gathering at Montecatini Terme;
- Flower-Festival at Ventimiglia;
- Tulip-Festival at Castiglione del Lago (Perugia)
- 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy, in Florence Capital of Culture (18/9/2011);
- 60th year since the founding of ANBIMA in Rome(22 Novembre 2015);
- Cento's Carnival(FE);
- Busseto's Carnival (PR);