Piranesi – Visionary of Shadow and Stone

Directed by Henrike Sandner

The name Piranesi evokes a world of mystery and imagination. The Italian architect, engraver, and archaeologist gifted us with dreamlike visions – labyrinthine spaces where stairways lead to nowhere and shadows stretch into the unknown. At the same time, he celebrated the monumental beauty of ancient Rome in his iconic vedute – vivid panoramas of the “Eternal City” that spread far and wide across Europe. But who was Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the man behind these extraordinary creations? Very little is known about his life and inner world. This documentary seeks to trace his footsteps, to delve into the enigma he left behind and to bring us closer to understanding the mind of a genius who built entire worlds on paper.