Within the Oldest Core of the Quirinal Palace
Within the Palazzina di Gregorio XIII (Villa of Gregory XIII), the oldest core of the palace, constructed at the end of the 1500s, is the Room of Drusus, antechamber to the Office of the President.
View of the Room of Drusus the ElderQuirinale Palace
The Office of the President opens into the Room of Drusus, used today as an antechamber to the Office.
This room was the audience chamber for Pope Urban VIII and, at the end of the 1800s, the bedroom of King Umberto I.
The king's bedroom was furnished with rich wooden furniture, dismantled after the end of the monarchy, of which only the walnut-wood doors remain.
Drusus Bust (First half of the 1st century AD)Quirinale Palace
The bust of Drusus
Today the room takes its name from the marble bust of Drusus the Elder, much-loved stepson of the Emperor Octavian and a valiant general, who died very young after falling from a horse.
The head-portrait of Drusus can be dated back to the first half of the 1st century A.D., while the bust is later.
View of the Room of Drusus the ElderQuirinale Palace
The New Indies series tapestry
On the wall adjacent to the Office of the President hangs a tapestry that, together with five pieces within the Zodiac Room, forms the series, The New Indies.
It was woven by the Parisian manufactory of Gobelins in 1784—1786: it depicts a group of exotic animals, including a zebra being mauled by a jaguar.
Detail of the ceiling decoration in the Room of Drusus the Elder (Late 19th century)Quirinale Palace
The vaulted ceiling and the frieze
Directing the gaze upward, a beautiful coffered ceiling can be found, dating back to the end of the 1800s.
It is from the same period as the pictures within the frieze, which depict groups of cherubs and rich plant motifs.
Detail of the frieze in the Room of Drusus the Elder (Late 19th century)Quirinale Palace
The wording on the shields held by the cherubs commemorate famous battles from the era of Charles Albert and Victor Emmanuel II, and Roman victories of the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C., in order to suggest a parallel between the greatness of the Roman Empire and the expansion of the Savoyard state.
Detail of the frieze in the Room of Drusus the Elder (Late 19th century)Quirinale Palace
Some large daisies, alluding to King Umberto's consort Queen Margherita, can be seen within the frieze decoration on the long walls.
View of the Room of Drusus the ElderQuirinale Palace
The 18th-century chest of drawers
Of great value, the chest of drawers with black lacquer and bronze applications, constructed using refined Japanese lacquer panels, is a work designed by the Parisian cabinet-maker Bernard Vanrisamburg, who created it around 1745, probably for King Louis XV.
Saint Jerome (First twenty years of the 17th century) by Unknown Caravaggesque painterQuirinale Palace
The caravaggesque canvas
Above the chest of drawers hangs a painting in Caravaggesque style, which can be dated back to the beginning of the 1600s, and depicts a Penitent Saint Jerome. The canvas is attributable to a follower of Caravaggio, who is still not identified with certainty.
Chair in the Room of Drusus the Elder (Mid 18th century) by French manufactureQuirinale Palace
The 18th-century furniture
The remaining furnishings in the room include some of the most important pieces within the Quirinal Palace's collection.
The couch and the armchair date back to the middle of the 1700s, and originate from the Duchy of Parma.
These refined objects are probably the work of French cabinet-makers active within the court of Philip of Bourbon, Duke of Parma from 1748, to 1765.
Detail of the tapestry covering with a red background of an armchair (Mid 18th century)Quirinale Palace
Each piece presents fine tapestry coverings with a red background, depicting animals and bucolic landscapes.
Detail of the tapestry upholstery of the armchair (Mid 18th century) by Manufacture of BeauvaisQuirinale Palace
Philip was married to the daughter of King Louis XV, Louise-Élisabeth of Bourbon, who introduced many aspects of French culture of the time into the Emilian duchy.
Detail of the chair decoration (Mid 18th century) by Manufacture of BeauvaisQuirinale Palace
The results within the artistic field can also be appreciated in these valuable items that were brought from Paris.
Next to the Room of Drusus there is a narrow corridor, which originated as a private passageway for the Pope to move from his summer apartments to his winter ones.
Discover the Passageway of Urban VIII!
