A lecture by Peter Hauser
This lecture will explore Florence’s legacy in theatrical design—from its early experiments in sacred drama to the grandeur of Medici court productions—tracing how artistic vision, mechanical ingenuity, and architectural innovation converged to shape the future of performance. The technical mastery developed in its workshops and court spectacles—through the designs of figures like Filippo Brunelleschi, Bernardo Buontalenti, and Giulio Parigi—laid the groundwork for modern stagecraft. Florence’s theatrical legacy was not only artistic but architectural and mechanical—a synthesis of imagination, craftsmanship, and engineering that reshaped the very language of performance.
Peter Hauser is a designer and producer whose career bridges opera, theater, dance, and large-scale event production. His research into the history and evolution of theatre architecture and design explores how the artistic, architectural, and mechanical innovations of the Renaissance helped establish the foundations of modern stagecraft and performance design.
If you are in Florence and would like to attend the lecture in person at the British Institute Library, please register here or send an email to bif@britishinstitute.it
The registration fee is 15 Euro per person.
To join this lecture online, simply click on this link to register and receive the Zoom meeting invitation: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_Id8xPYJTtSNl7H6ZkZjCA . The virtual doors will open at 18:00 Italian time on Wednesday 10th December.
The recording of the virtual lecture will be available for registered participants only. Clicking on the link above, you authorise the British Institute of Florence to use your image, name and comments.
There is no charge to attend the event on Zoom, but we ask you to consider making a donation to support the Institute and its beautiful library if you wish to attend an event.
This lecture is sponsored by Jane Lewis