THE MUSEUM OF PRECINEMA IN PADUA: DREAMS AND VISIONS BEFORE THE INVENTION OF CINEMA
The Museum of Precinema in Padua. It doesn’t often happen that you can observe at a short distance the objects and instruments illustrating the birth of cinema.
There’s a place where you can do that: the Museum of Precinema in Padua.
This is a one-of-a-kind place, which illustrates in three rooms the story of visionary men, famous artists and bizarre people, whose names we don’t even know, but who gave a breath of life to motionless images, and contributed to the birth of cinema.
The cinema was born in 1895, with the first projection of the cinematograph created by the Lumière Brothers. Actually, for more than a century people tried to give movement to images in order to narrate stories, and the Museum of Precinema in Padua illustrates exactly that period characterized by inventions and attempts.
READ ALSO: the post I dedicated to one of the forerunners of precinema: Eadweard Muybridge.
The Museum of Precinema in Padua was born almost by chance, when Laura Minici Zotti found in a loft a magic lantern, which would be the first item of her collection.
Here is the description of the Museum of Precinema in Padua given by the creator herself.
The Museum of Precinema was born in 1998 in order to promote and to help the public to understand the precious objects carefully chosen and contained in the Minici Zotti collection.
Today the museum is located in the Palazzo Angeli in Prato della Valle, in the historic centre of Padua, which is the perfect place to exhibit and preserve optical devices, and the 18th– and 19th– century hand-painted glass projection slides.
The palace has always been linked to the history of vision: from its windows Canaletto, using a camera obscura, an instrument of precinema, painted a view of Prato della Valle.
In addition to oriental shadow theatres, the collection also includes the famous touring theatre of the cabaret Le Chat Noir in Paris, optical viewing equipment, stereoscopic pictures, silhouettes, and musical instruments.
All of them are original objects, or faithful reproductions, in order to allow the visitors to use them directly.
READ ALSO: What to see in Padua without spending your money and new from The Venice Film Festival 2016.
INFO
Museo del PRECINEMA
Padua, Palazzo AngeliPrato della Valle 1/A
This is such a beautiful idea for a museum, and an important contribution in the history of motion pictures and/or cinema. I want very much to come and see the museum.
I am from New York, but I will be in Padua this autumn to video artworks. At that time I will try to see your museum.
Best wishes,
David Anderson
David, I’m glad you discovered this museum due to my article. When you visit, let me know what you think 🙂