Chamber of the Device

This room, bigger than the previous one, is characterized by two elements. An area decorated by cherubs who are hidden behind leaves, and open their arms to sustain a series of tondos. Painted on these tondos are a series of heroic deeds, a concept, that of endeavour, of deed, that was crucial during the Renaissance period. In this type of representation the image is usually accompanied by a motto that illustrated and sums up a virtue of the Prince, who here is obviously a Gonzaga. The symbolic play was understood at a glance by visitors: the decorative elements not only adorned the walls but created a relationship between the visitors and the rooms of the palace. The protagonists of these scenes were the members of the Gonzaga family and Federico in particular, who commissioned the construction of the palace.