Bibiena

Bibiena, family of Italian theater designers and architects, who worked in a lavish baroque style. Three generations, centered in Bologna and Vienna, designed public spectacles and theatrical performances and built theaters throughout Europe, primarily for members of the Habsburg family.

Giovanni Maria Galli (1620-65), a painter from Bibiena, founded the family and took the name of his native town. His sons Ferdinando (1657-1743) and Francesco (1659-1739) Galli da Bibiena developed innovative theatrical scenery that suggested deep space by using two vanishing points of perspective instead of one and by repeating the same object in diminishing size as it receded into the distance. Ferdinando wrote Architettura civile (1711) and other books on architecture. Francesco designed the Staatsoper (Vienna Opera House) in 1740. Ferdinando's second son, Giuseppe Galli da Bibiena (1696-1757), the most important member of the family, published engravings of his set designs, decorated the opera house at Bayreuth, Bavaria, and used transparent scenery, lit from behind. His brothers, Alessandro (1687-1769) and Antonio (1700-74), and his son Carlo (1728-87) worked in the family profession.