Jupiter's Love Hall: The Triumph of Love

Western Wall, Detail. The Hall of Loves of Jupiter, whose name identifies the subject represented in the varoius painted scenes, the love presented in different type (OMNIA VINCET AMOR-LOVE CONQUERS EVERYTHING), was painted and painted in stuccoes, respectively, by Agostino Carracci (Bolonia 1557-Parma 1602) and Giovanni Bosco. Speaking of this last person, Giovanni, there are some circumstances that are not clear: was often substitued by Luca Rieti, artist of stuccoes who realized in Parma some statues for the Teatro Farnese. Speaking of Carracci's work we can identify the central, eastern, western and southern part of the vault, while the northern one contains an epigraph written by Claudio Achillini for the artisti from Bolonia who passed away in 1602 before finishing the vault. The epitaph says: AUGUSTUS CARRACIUS DUM EXTREMOS IMMORTALIS SUI PENCILLI TRACTUS IN HOC SEMIPICTO FORNICE MOLIRETUR, AB OFFICIIS PINGENDI, ET VIVENDI, SUB UMBRA LILIORUM, GLORIOSE VACAVIT, TU SPECTATOR, INTER HAS DULCES PICTURAE ACERBITATES PASCE OCULOS, ET FATEBERE, DECUISSE POTIUS INTACTAS SPECTARI QUAM, ALIENA MANU, TRACTATAS MATURARI. The stuccoes represent, precisely, the love of Jupiter: Jupiter and Danae, Jupiter and Europa, Jupiter and Seleme, Jupiter and Leda. The decorative apparate complete itself with two arches including the dominion of Eros and the Onnipotence. The pictorial cycle was carried on, in the walls, by Carlo Cignani, always from Bolonia, many years after the death of Carracci, around 1680.