Napoleon's Apartment
During the French occupation, the rooms in the northern wing of the Quirinal Palace were used as Napoleon Bonaparte's apartment. Among them, the Napoleonic Parlor
View of the Napoleonic ParlourQuirinale Palace
The private domain
The neoclassical configuration of the parlor dates back to the period of the French occupation, when the room was used as Napoleon's toilette. His bedroom was next door (today's Hall of the Lille Tapestries).
When the Savoys moved in, it became Queen Margherita's bathroom.
View of the vault of the Napoleonic drawing room (1812)Quirinale Palace
The vault
The vault's decoration, characterized by an epic theme, dates back to the Napoleonic era.
At the corners are four elegant allegorical representations of Fame, the work of the sculptor Salvatore de Carlis. They hold laurel wreaths in their hands, which they offer to pairs of eagles, symbolizing the glory of the Napoleonic Empire.
The eight medallions with winged Spirits on shiny gold backgrounds are, however, the only surviving evidence of the elegant pictorial decoration created by Pelagio Palagi. He also painted the central canvas, which has been lost.
Medallion with winged genius and weapons (1812) by Pelagio PalagiQuirinale Palace
Palagi's decoration made reference to the primitive ritual of the wearing of weapons and divine judgment in the dispute between the Greeks and the Trojans.
Medallion with winged genius and weapons (1812) by Pelagio PalagiQuirinale Palace
With their varied poses and expressions, the little Spirits serve as a link with the lost paintings.
Medallion with winged genius and weapons (1812) by Pelagio PalagiQuirinale Palace
They are wrapped in brightly colored ribbons and hold war-related objects.
Medallion with winged genius and weapons (1812) by Pelagio PalagiQuirinale Palace
Among weapons, breastplates, swords, shields, and helmets are particularly recognizable.
Don Quixote separates from Sancho and gives him his blessing (1758) by Royal Manufacture of Naples under the direction of Pietro Duranti. Cartoon by Giuseppe Bonito.Quirinale Palace
The Stories of Don Quixote
On the walls hang three tapestries from the series Stories of Don Quixote that recount several episodes from Cervantes' famous novel. They were woven in the Royal Factory of Naples (Manifattura Reale di Napoli), under the direction of Pietro Duranti.
The first, woven in 1758 on a cartoon by Giuseppe Bonito, depicts Don Quixote leaving Sancho and giving him his blessing.
Don Quixote lowered into a cave (1772) by Royal Manufacture of Naples under the direction of Pietro Duranti. Cartoon by Antonio Guastaferro.Quirinale Palace
The second cloth narrates the episode of Don Quixote lowered into a cave, and was woven in 1772 on a cartoon by Antonio Guastaferro.
Don Quixote receives a stick from a carrier (1769) by Royal Manufacture of Naples under the direction of Pietro Duranti. Model by Benedetto Torre.Quirinale Palace
The third tapestry shows Don Quixote receiving blows from a coachman with a stick, and was made in 1769 on a model by Benedetto Torre.
View of the Napoleonic ParlourQuirinale Palace
Marble busts
In the room, there are two busts placed on marble pedestals.
On the left is a bronze female sculpture with a pink marble bust. It is a copy of a portrait of Faustina Minore, daughter of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, and it can be traced back to the early 1900s.
On the right is the bust of Octavian as a young man, his head sculpted in light marble and dating back to the 19th century.
The furniture
The group of seats consisting of a sofa, six chairs, and four armchairs marked with lion heads are particularly valuable. They are the work of a Florentine cabinetmaker from around the first 20 years of the 19th century.
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