PALAZZO TE
Place of entertainment of the court and home to the love of Federico II Gonzaga.
Located slightly outside Mantua, Palazzo Te stands out for its majesty. The palace was designed by Giulio Romano to provide a place for the love affairs of Federico II Gonzaga, son of Isabella d'Este and Francis II, and Isabella Boschetti. Built between 1525 and 1535, on the foundations of an ancient Roman villa, it is one of the best examples of Italian mannerism. A student of Raphael, Giulio Romano was the spokesman for a new architectural and pictorial language, playful and exuberant. One enters the main courtyard captivated by the "broken" lines of the entablature of the walls. Inside, a series of rooms displays a decorative program where erotic and political messages alternate in a surprising way. The Salon de Chevaux (Horse Room), intended for large receptions, is astonishing with its frescoes of the most beautiful steeds from the ducal stables, painted in low angle. Frederick II's favourite mounts are shown here in all their splendour. The Hall of Psyche then openly alludes to the Duke's love affairs. All the artist's sensual art is displayed here without restraint. The Hall of the Giants, finally, is the most famous. The subject of Zeus' Wrath Against the Titans covers the entire wall. Here, we are submerged by the painting, with an effect of total disorientation accentuated by the trompe-l'oeil of the dome with its ceiling suspended in the void. The mannerist devices continue in the gardens, in the grotto and the small loggia.
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