Geometry and harmony
Palazzo del Giardino, Sabbioneta - Italy
A tiny urban jewel of inestimable value, this is Sabbioneta, conceived along with the humanistic dream of Vespasiano Gonzaga (1531-1591), enlightened prince and follower of Vitruvius. This ideal city was edified from nothing in the second half of the 1500s, based on the model of the Classical city of Antiquity. Vespasiano really hoped to give life to a city of art and culture, a sort of Athens on a smaller scale – yet upon his death, Sabbioneta saw a rapid decline, and the population dwindled. Still, the monuments remained unchanged in time.
The Palazzo del Giardino, or Garden Palace, built as a private
palace for Duke Vespasiano Gonzaga and his noble guests, providing them with the space to amuse themselves, relax, read, rest, listen to music, and be at peace in the country. Built c. 1582, was once painted in geometrical motifs of faux marble. Today, the exterior is painted white with carved oak trim, the only clue to the prestige of the building being the marble surrounds of the door. The interior, however, reveals the opulence of the mannerist fashion, which only hints at the luxury and companionable fun which must have occurred within these walls. Bernardo Campi, an artist from Cremona and his “school” created the wall and ceiling frescoes beginning in 1582.
Geometry and harmony
Palazzo del Giardino, Sabbioneta - Italy
A tiny urban jewel of inestimable value, this is Sabbioneta, conceived along with the humanistic dream of Vespasiano Gonzaga (1531-1591), enlightened prince and follower of Vitruvius. This ideal city was edified from nothing in the second half of the 1500s, based on the model of the Classical city of Antiquity. Vespasiano really hoped to give life to a city of art and culture, a sort of Athens on a smaller scale – yet upon his death, Sabbioneta saw a rapid decline, and the population dwindled. Still, the monuments remained unchanged in time.
The Palazzo del Giardino, or Garden Palace, built as a private
palace for Duke Vespasiano Gonzaga and his noble guests, providing them with the space to amuse themselves, relax, read, rest, listen to music, and be at peace in the country. Built c. 1582, was once painted in geometrical motifs of faux marble. Today, the exterior is painted white with carved oak trim, the only clue to the prestige of the building being the marble surrounds of the door. The interior, however, reveals the opulence of the mannerist fashion, which only hints at the luxury and companionable fun which must have occurred within these walls. Bernardo Campi, an artist from Cremona and his “school” created the wall and ceiling frescoes beginning in 1582.