Prato della Valle
Encyclopedia
Prato della Valle is a 90,000 square meter
1 E4 m²
To help compare orders of magnitude of different areas, areas between 1 hectare and 10 hectares are listed below.* Areas smaller than 1 hectare* 1 hectare is equal to:** 1 E+4 m² or 10,000 m²** 100 ares** 108,000 square feet...

 elliptical square in Padova, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. It is the largest square in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. The square today is a monumental space of extraordinary visual impact, with a green island at the center, l'Isola Memmia, surrounded by a small canal bordered by two rings of statues.

History

Among the numerous statues in the square, one represents Andrea Memmo, the patrician Venetian known as the provider of Padova. In 1775 Memmo decided to reclaim and restructure the entire area which, at that time, was nothing but an amorphous swampland.

The entire project, which was never fully completed, is represented in a famous copper engraving by Francesco Piranesi
Francesco Piranesi
Francesco Piranesi was an Italian engraver and architect. He was the son of the more famous Giovan Battista Piranesi and continued his series of engravings representing monuments and ancient temples. He worked for a long period in France, where he lived during the French Revolution.Piranesi died...

 from 1785. It seems that Memmo had commissioned this and other representations and kept them on exhibition at the Palazzo Venezia
Palazzo Venezia
The Palazzo di Venezia is a palazzo in central Rome, Italy, just north of the Capitoline Hill. The original structure of this great architectural complex consisted of a modest medieval house intended as the residence of the cardinals appointed to the Church of San Marco...

, the headquarters of the Embassy of the Republic in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

. He did this in order to entice other important figures into financing the construction of statues to decorate the square. The project approved by Domenico Cerato, professor of architecture at Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...

 and Padova.

The preliminary excavations done to install the plumbing system and reclaim the area were directed by Simone Stratico. These excavations brought to light the remains of an ancient Roman theater. These findings conferred a sense of historical dignity to the initiative, and transformed it into a project of reclamaton for its natural public use.

Andrea Memmo resided at Palazzo Angeli, constructed in the 15th century and located in Prato della Valle at an angle with the avenue Umberto I. Today, the monumental palazzo, property of the city of Padova, hosts the Museum of Precinema
Museum of Precinema
The Museum of Precinema is a museum in the Palazzo Angeli, Prato della Valle, Padua, Italy, related to the history of precinema, or precursors of film. It was created in 1998 to display the Minici Zotti Collection, in collaboration with the Comune di Padova...

 Minici Zotti Collection.

The following are of particular interest: the benedictine Basilica of Santa Giustina, the neoclassical style Loggia Amulea, and the many interesting palazzi constructed between the 14th and the 18th centuries which surround the square.

Prato della Valle today

Prato della Valle has, from its very beginning, taken its place in the hearts of Padovans who frequently refer to it simply as Il Prato. At various times it was also known as valley without grass because the number of trees prevented much grass from growing there. Today, however, it is completely covered with grass, and many small trees.

During the 1990s, the "Prato" went through a period of degradation and neglect, but today it has been restored to its original splendor through reclamation projects and the concern and involvement of the citizens of Padova. During the summer, the square is animated by large numbers of visitors who skate, stroll or study while tanning themselves in the sun. Summer evenings are marked by the presence of teenagers and young adults who chat until the early hours of the morning.

For several years, Prato della Valle has been the seat of the Padovan section of the Festivalbar, and recently it has even played host to skating competitions, thanks to the wide asphalted ring which surrounds the square.

Every New Year's Day (Capodanno), and during the Feast of the Annunciation in August (Ferragosto), parties with music and fireworks take place in the Prato.

The monumental 15th century building of the Palazzo Angeli, belonging to the City of Padova and once the home of Andrea Memmo, hosts the Museum of Precinema
Museum of Precinema
The Museum of Precinema is a museum in the Palazzo Angeli, Prato della Valle, Padua, Italy, related to the history of precinema, or precursors of film. It was created in 1998 to display the Minici Zotti Collection, in collaboration with the Comune di Padova...

- Minici Zotti Collection.

Documents

At the bottom of Piranesi's engraving, one can read the following descriptive text:

Prospectus of the new square following the general idea already conceived and in large part implemented by his Excellency Mr. Andrea Memmo Cavaliere and Procurator of S. Marco when he was extraordinary provider of the Serene Republic of Venice, between the years MDCCLXXV and VI. Above marshy terrain containing the space of 974,012 square geometric feet and called therefore the square of the valley, the island destined for public walks, art museums and statues which adorn it proudly with figures of merchants and animals, indication of spectacular woods, lakes, streets, bridges and many other ornaments which can be discovered without explanation.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK