The oratory of San Giuseppe is a Catholic place of worship built in Viareggio in 1852 to a design by Giuseppe Gemignani, by the will of Sant’Antonio Maria Pucci, at the time parish priest of Sant’Andrea managed by the religious order of the Servants of Mary. The oratory was at the service of the religious brotherhood “Pia Unione dei Figli di San Giuseppe” which he himself founded.
Today, while still constituting a subsidiary church of the parish, it is no longer used for worship, but for other activities such as soup kitchens, charity markets, meetings and debates.
In 2006 the parish decided to renovate the oratory by financing the works with the sale of a property it owned, home to the historic “Centrale” arthouse cinema, arousing controversy in the city. In the end, the municipality restricted the intended use of the property and the project did not materialise.
