Paradiso of San Felice (Q9344)
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No description defined
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Paradiso of San Felice | No description defined |
Statements
Paradiso, an elaborate piece of stage machinery invented by FILIPPO BRUNEL-LESCHI (1377-1446) for the representation of the Annunciation which took place annually in the church of San Felice in Florence. It consisted of a group of choir boys, representing cherubims, who were suspended in a copper dome from the roof of the church. This was lowered by crane to a platform, and from it then emerged the actor who was to play St. Gabriel. When he had finished his part, he re-entered the dome and returned to heaven. This device was the forerunner of many similar mobile chariots, which were improved by such additions as the clouds of cottonwool with which FRANCESCO D'ANGELO (1447-88) masked the machinery needed for Christ's Ascension. Later, painted canvas, mounted on battens, took the place of cottonwool, but the basic principle of Brunelleschi's device remained in use for the transport of any supernatural being until almost the end of the eighteenth century. In: Hartnoll, Phyllis, ed. The concise Oxford companion to the theatre. 1st ed. London: Oxford University Press, 1972. ISBN 0-19-281102-9. p. 402 (English)
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