Castelfranco celebrates the 250th anniversary of Francesco Maria Preti with an exhibition on the 18th century in three locations

On December 23, 1774, Castelfranco Veneto lost one of its most illustrious figures: Francesco Maria Preti (Castelfranco Veneto, May 19, 1701 - 1774), architect and intellectual among the main protagonists of the lively cultural season that characterized the 18th century in the city of Giorgione. 250 years after his death, Castelfranco celebrates this extraordinary personality with an exhibition that traces his legacy and recounts the cultural and artistic life of the time. From January 25 to April 6, 2025, the exhibition entitled Scholars and Libertines. The Eighteenth Century in the City of Giorgione. Francesco Maria Preti will be staged in three venues: the Museo Casa Giorgione, the Teatro Accademico section curated by Danila Dal Pos, and Palazzo Soranzo Novello. The exhibition will offer a journey into the atmosphere of the eighteenth century, a period when Castelfranco was a commercial and cultural crossroads of the Venetian mainland, enlivened by prominent figures such as Giovanni Rizzetti and Jacopo Riccati.

Francesco Maria Preti is a central figure both in the history of Castelfranco and in eighteenth-century architecture. Among his most famous works are the design of the Teatro Accademico, where he applied the theory of proportional mean harmonic, the city cathedral, and the Villa Pisani in Stra. His activity extended to theoretical reflection and active participation in the fervent cultural coterie that characterized Castelfranco in the 18th century. The exhibition will trace Preti’s contribution, exploring the intellectual context in which he operated and highlighting his ability to combine science, art and music in a harmonious vision of knowledge.

A society of scholars and libertines

The title of the exhibition, Scholars and Libertines, recalls the fascinating dualism of a time when scientific and intellectual research was intertwined with a social life animated by lively fashions, rituals and customs. Among the exhibition’s protagonists are Giovanni Rizzetti, who first applied the theory of proportional harmonic mean, and Jacopo Riccati, a mathematician known for the differential equation that bears his name and gave birth to the so-called Riccati school.

Through a selection of works and testimonies, the exhibition will offer a glimpse into the daily life of the time: prints, paintings, documents, silverware, ceramics, furniture, costumes and musical instruments will accompany the visitor on a journey through arts, sciences and traditions.

The genius of Francesco Maria Preti

Francesco Maria Preti combined art, science and philosophy in a perfect synthesis. One of his most significant contributions was the theory of the harmonic proportional mean, an approach that integrated mathematics, architecture and music. This insight, developed as early as 1723 during the design of Castelfranco Cathedral, represented the starting point for a career that would redefine the aesthetic canons of his time.

Encouraged by mathematician Giovanni Rizzetti, who sensed his talent, Preti developed his first theories on proportionality in the Ca’Amata villa in Salvarosa. Later, through discussions with such personalities as Jacopo Riccati, Giordano Riccati, Giuseppe Tartini and Francesco Antonio Vallotti, he perfected his approach: architectural elements were to reflect numerical ratios similar to musical chords. Among his major works are the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and San Liberale in Castelfranco Veneto, the Villa Pisani in Stra, the Palazzo Corner at "Paradiso," and, of course, the Teatro Accademico, the emblem of his harmonic quest.

The Teatro Accademico: an “emeronium” masterpiece

Designed in 1746 and built by 1754, the Teatro Accademico represents a unicum in Italian architecture. Defined as “emeronizio” for its ability to be illuminated by natural light, this multifunctional space was designed to host both Academy meetings and day and night performances.

The design embodies the principles formulated by Preti in his Elements (published posthumously in 1780): proportions based on arithmetic and harmonic mean, continuity of lines and calculation of heights according to musical ratios. The plan of the theater, articulated according to mathematical patterns, reflects an idea of space as a harmonic composition. Despite some changes made over time, such as the rebuilding of the atrium and facade between 1853 and 1858 to the design of engineer A. Barea, the Academic Theater remains an outstanding example of Preti’s vision.

“In the salons and Athenaeums of the time, the musical theories of Giuseppe Tartini, Francesco Antonio Vallotti, Jean Philippe Rameau and Jean-Adam Serre were discussed”- writes Stefania Colonna-Preti in the exhibition catalog. "In 1754, Tartini published in Padua the Trattato della Musica, secondo la vera scienza della Armonia ( Treatise on Music, According to the True Science of Harmony); Giordano Riccati wrote an essay Sopra le leggi del Contrappunto (On the Laws of Counterpoint), along with dissertations and letters on musical topics, and devoted himself to the study of Tartini’s and Rameau’s systems. In this stimulating environment, young Francesco Maria Preti grows up and thus starts his career as an ’amateur’ architect."

Castelfranco celebrates the 250th anniversary of Francesco Maria Preti with an exhibition on the 18th century in three locations

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