The Precinema Museum is one of the most unusual and evocative places in Padua.
Dedicated to the ancient forms of entertainment that preceded and influenced the invention of cinema, it exhibits a unique collection in the world.
A museum of wonders, which we invite you to discover with us.
What was cinema like before cinema?
Today cinema is a form of entertainment that involves everyone, the young and the old. But have you ever wondered what cinema was like… before cinema?
By visiting the Pre-cinema Museum in Palazzo Angeli, one of the oldest buildings overlooking the large square of Prato della Valle, you will find the answers to this question.
The Pre-cinema Museum in Padua is a small museum, but it reserves great emotions.
The “Minici Zotti Collection” or “Museo del Precinema” represents a unique museum not only in the Italian panorama, but also in the world.
As indicated by the name, the Precinema Museum collects artifacts and objects relating to what was this form of entertainment before the age of cinema.
Inside the museum you will find a collection of images and machinery for their vision or projection.
Starting from 1700, these “objects of wonders” had a huge diffusion all over Europe and the whole world.
And what was the reason for that extraordinary success? It’s simple: constituting the basis for public and private performances, those devices of images and visions delighted and amazed practically everyone. People, kings and their courts.
Most of the period objects on display are original. Others, however, are faithfully reproduced to allow you to have a direct use.
Shall we add more? Maybe yes… The atmosphere inside Palazzo Angeli makes the time spent in this museum truly magical. Believe it!
The exhibition itinerary of the Precinema Museum
In the wonderful attic of the ancient building overlooking Prato della Valle, between reality and fantasy, you will be guided along a path that will lead you to discover all the moving images that in the past anticipated cinema.
Do you want some examples? You will see magic lanterns, “mondi novi”, hand-painted projection slides, optical views. You can admire simple devices with playful characters such as thaumatropes, or more ingenious tools such as the zoetrope. Even toy lanterns in painted tin are waiting for you…
And then you will also admire shadow theaters and optical games, curious and fascinating objects that testify to the birth and spread of a new “human species”, the one of the visionary man.
Next to the projection devices, you will find a collection of thousands of images by which animations are obtained: glass dating from the mid-18th to the early 20th century, mostly hand-painted, engravings on glass or colored photographs.
You will take a dip in the visual culture of the past. Among mechanisms and equipment that still retain a special charm today, you will be involved in the re-enactment of multiple stories and inventions: the collective imagination of past eras, the principles of projection, of vision or of three-dimensionality.
The “Minici Zotti Collection”: one of the most original museums in Padua
As you may have realized, this is one of the museums in Padua that are worth a visit.
It is also a perfect destination for your children, and not only for them.
In the Pre-cinema Museum, in fact, enthusiasts and researchers can consult the specialized library dedicated to the Archeology of Cinema and Optical Shows, which collects rare ancient volumes and modern publications.
Here is our advice: come and discover the history of the vision machines and the “magical visions” that amazed and amused our ancestors. They will surely amaze you too!
Location
Precinema Museum
Prato della Valle, 1 / A
Distance from Apartments Padova: look at the map
Photos via:
fondoambiente.it
venetoinside.com