Palazzo Angeli, Historical palace in central Padua, Italy.
Palazzo Angeli is a three-arched building on Prato della Valle in Padua, erected in the 15th century as the residence of Cardinal Bessarion. Its windows face the square, and from them Canaletto painted a panoramic view of the lawn opposite in the mid-18th century using a camera obscura. Since 1998 the top floor houses the Museum of Pre-Cinema with the Minici Zotti Collection.
Built in the 15th century as the residence of Cardinal Bessarion, the palace later belonged to Andrea Memmo, Procurator of San Marco and the official behind the redevelopment of Prato della Valle. His friend Giacomo Casanova was probably a guest here. Around the mid-18th century Canaletto used a camera obscura at its windows to paint the square opposite.
Since 1998 the top floor has housed the Museo del Precinema, displaying the Minici Zotti Collection of optical devices and early image projectors. The museum name is spelled "Museo del Precinema". The collection was assembled by Minici Zotti and shows how moving images were produced before film.
Palazzo Angeli stands directly on Prato della Valle, so it is reached on foot from the square itself rather than from the station. The Museum of Pre-Cinema occupies the top floor, reached by stairs inside the building; the Minici Zotti Collection has been displayed there since 1998.
The palace holds an extensive collection of magic lanterns and optical devices from the 18th and 19th centuries. These objects were precursors to cinema and demonstrate how people brought images to life before electronic projection existed.
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