Il Teatro Anatomico antico dell’Università di Padova: ragioni costruttive, architettura e restituzione della concezione geometrica

The concept of a permanent venue for anatomical dissections was influenced by theoretical proposals advocating for a structure inspired by ancient-style theaters. These ideas were explored and analyzed by architects and architectural scholars. At the University of Padua, this led to the emergence of a plan to establish a dedicated space for anatomical lectures. Construction of a permanent anatomical theatre - described as publicum et perpetuum - began in the 1580s as part of the Studio di Padova's expansion. However, the structure that is preserved today began to take shape in 1594. The design featured a wooden cavea with overlapping elliptical tiers arranged in an inverted cone shape, set in a double-height space in the northwest corner of the Studio building. The construction has led to various interpretations and hypotheses regarding its design author. This paper explores and verifies the geometric hypotheses behind the design process, examining how functional and visual considerations influenced the formal choices. Using a digital point cloud survey, we developed a schematic reconstruction to highlight the geometric features of the wooden structure.