Chamber of the stuccoes

Passing through the Loggia of David the visitor enters a rectangular space that is decorated by stuccoes representing divinities and scenes from ancient Rome. The work is by Francesco Primaticcio, one of the collaborators of Giulio Romano, who was here assisted by Giovan Battista Mantovano. The artist also contributed to the realization of the frescoes of Fontainebleu in France. The stuccoes are divided between the barrel vault, divided into twenty-five squares, and the double area of friezes that delimits it. A curious detail: one of the scenes is a baptism, out of context with respect to the other classical scenes represented. The reference is to an episode of Roman history narrated on Trajan's Column and on the Column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome. The intention of Giulio Romano was to glorify the classical word by surprising the visitor with the great many characters represented in the scenes.