Aspiring to the divine, to perfection, has always been a dream pursued by mankind. The theorists of Classical Greece succeeded, Leonardo Fibonacci fascinated us in the 13th century with his secret laws of numbers, and it reached its maximum expression in the Renaissance with the works of Andrea Palladio and Luca Pacioli‘s De Divina Proportione illustrated by his friend Leonardo Da Vinci with his Vitruvian Man.

After centuries of oblivion, the ancient laws of harmonic relationships returned to being “in fashion” in the 18th century starting from the city of Castelfranco Veneto, where a group of enlightened scholars from Castelfranco Veneto, called “Circolo Riccatiano”, following the teachings of the mathematician Jacopo Riccati then developed in particular by his son Giordano and his friend Francesco Maria Preti, theorized the rules of nature that aspire to perfect forms.

Galileo Galilei, by means of experiments with pendulums, demonstrated that simple proportions equally delight hearing and sight..

(Elementi di Architettura, F.M. Preti)

In fact, through their studies they will develop a concept of three-dimensionality, using what they called the “harmonic proportional mean”, a relationship between mathematics, music and architecture which, further refining the concept of the golden ratio (a numerical ratio which is found in many forms natural), was taken as an example throughout the world.

Starting from the United States of America, where Thomas Jefferson, self-taught architect as well as future President, had the book “Elements of Architecture” by Francesco Maria Preti published posthumously by Giordano Riccati sent to him in 1780 as inspiration for his villa called “Monticello ” and which also served for the changes he made to the White House during his mandate.

Our itinerary to discover the “perfect beauty” starts from Palazzo Soranzo Novello, located right in front of the Civic Tower, the city’s new museum Wunderkammer, where until the end of October you have the opportunity to visit Temporanea. Exhibit, document, recover (and in particular a beautiful collection of 16th-century majolica), and which apparently was completely renovated during the 18th century thanks to an intervention by Francesco Maria Preti.

And here begins the mystery because this project has never been found, as the Director of the Civic Museums of Castelfranco Veneto, Matteo Melchiorre, tells us while showing us the registers which contain some of the original large format drawings, illustrated by hand in ink and watercolour, which Francesco Maria Preti used to create for each of his works.

…The difficulty lies in the elegant studied simplicity, therefore called by Quintilian dificillimam facilitatem.

(Elementi di Architettura, F.M. Preti)

To enjoy a bit of this beauty, you can book a visit to the evocative Municipal Library, located in the former Monte di Pietà of the City of which it preserves friezes and atmospheres, where the architect’s drawings can be consulted, including in particular those relating to the new Civil Hospital, of which only the Palazzetto Preti was later built, as well as a collection of various projects which also includes the Cathedral of Castelfranco Veneto, built by Preti while still in his twenties.

Our next stop, right in front of the Library, is, in fact, the Duomo, where Preti is buried, which is worth a visit even just to see the Altarpiece painting by Giorgione, one of the most important painters of the Renaissance. The church was entirely designed using the “harmonic mean” and, to achieve the ideal theorized by Preti, the city walls were even modified to bring the apse inside them and create a new scenic perspective on the square.

Continuing the walk, another example of perfect harmony between mathematics, music and architecture is the Academic Theatre. Built almost entirely between 1754 and 1780 by Preti according to precise mathematical rules to enjoy perfect shape and acoustics, it is the only theater in Italy designed to stage shows and at the same time offer academics a place to meet.

From here you can continue towards Via Ospedale, skirting Palazzetto Preti and then Villa Parco Bolasco, which is absolutely worth a visit, for which Preti had imagined a project in 1766, visible at the Municipal Library, at the invitation of the then-owner Giovanni Corner who however it was never completed.

…Perfection is not achieved except by degrees.

(Elementi di Architettura, F.M. Preti)

Shortly after, you arrive at Feva, the perfect address for a charming lunch. A restaurant housed in a former convent from the 1600s, it is the jewel of chef Nicola Dinato and the master of hospitality Elodie Dubuisson, who here realized their gourmet dream among works of art and a very short supply chain attentive to biodiversity.

While for dinner, returning towards the Academic Theatre, you can stop at Hortense, a new address in town, a gourmand restaurant and pizzeria with wood oven, located in an ancient frescoed building with a wonderful dehors overlooking the garden that runs along the city walls.

Our itinerary ends a few kilometers from the city center, in Cavasagra, at Villa Corner della Regina. Renovated by Preti around 1770 at the behest of Pietro Corner, it was transformed into a wonderful residence with swimming pool, perfect for enjoying a glimpse of “Palladian villas Dolce Vita”, inspired by the ideal of beauty of the Riccation Circle.

The Secret

The construction of the Duomo was entrusted to the very young Preti by Giovanni Rizzetti, the assignee of the work who however had other urgencies. His first architectural work, he studied a lot to realize it and his project was approved only secondly, after the scholar had drawn on Jacopo Riccati’s knowledge, thus developing his own theory on the subject of harmonious proportions.
It was precisely this first job that made him fall in love with architecture, a discipline in which he could channel all the other scientific studies in which he excelled.