The Carved and Painted Zodiac

The room's name derives from its astrological-inspired decoration.

The painted zodiac signs appear alongside one another on the ribs of the vault.

Each sign features a characteristic detail that makes it recognizable and is placed within a golden circle on top of the background of a starry sky.

At the center of the long sides of the vault, the succession of zodiac signs is interrupted by paintings of the Sun and the Moon.

They indicate the apparent path in the zodiac.

The zodiac theme is also apparent in the furnishings, set against the walls are 12 armchairs. 

These were made at the beginning of the 18th century by Andrea Brustolon, who was nicknamed the "Michelangelo of wood" by French novelist and playwright, Honoré de Balzac.

Each chair represents a sign of the zodiac and the attributes of the natural world associated with each month of the year. The signs are carved onto the armrests.

Along the entire structure of each chair, however, there are carvings that depict activities and produce relating to each month of the year.

On the chair representing Cancer, there is a reference to the month of June: the harvest of crops, symbolized by ears of wheat.

On the chair representing Libra—the month of September—each part is formed by vine shoots with abundant bunches of grapes and leaves.

The effect: an animated and lively intertwining of plants and fruit.

The entire frame of the Scorpio chair is made up of corn cobs that represent activity traditionally connected to the month of October.

The chair that represents Pisces features wreaths with pointed, bare branches, as well as buds which are ready to shoot. These activities are connected to the pruning of vines, according to the ancient calendar of the Labors of the Months.

On the Virgo chair, themes inspired by serene pastoral scenes can be found.

There is a carving of a shepherd shearing a sheep held on his knees.