grotesques

Frescoed interiors of Villa Lante's garden palazzine

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Two box-like palazzine—a term which can usually be translated as small buildings, but in this case really means small palaces or villas—rise from the southern corners of Villa Lante’s lowest gardens. From their exteriors, the structures appear as twins with the same (or roughly the same) dimensions, materials, and stark features. However, the two were actually built about thirty years apart under different owners, a fact their stylistically and thematically divergent interior decoration makes readily apparent.

Palazzine Montalto (left) and Gambara (right) rise over Villa Lante’s Fountain of the Square and surrounding manicured garden. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzine Montalto (left) and Gambara (right) rise over Villa Lante’s Fountain of the Square and surrounding manicured garden. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

The late Renaissance frescoes filling the loggia of Palazzina Gambara (c. 1568–78) are structured much like the gardens themselves, with imagery divided into discreet compartments and filled with personal and political symbols (like Cardinal Gambara’s emblematic shrimp), grotesques, and nods to classical mythology. These elements surround large depictions of central Italy’s great Renaissance villas and gardens, including Villa d’Este, Palazzo Farnese, and Villa Lante itself.

Conversely, a far more integrated and less overtly political Baroque design envelopes the loggia of Palazzina Monalto (1590–1612). Here, the ceiling is covered with trompe l’oeil depictions of skylights and birds. This illusion even carries into the room’s two narrow walls, which are painted to suggest the continuation of the loggia far beyond its actual ends. Grotesques and mythological figures appear as well, but take a more limited role and are painted in broader, looser brushwork than found in the older palazzina.

Only the loggia of each building is open to the public. For more information on the surrounding gardens and their history, see my previous photo-essay on Villa Lante. You can also find more about the buildings themselves from these useful links:

Traveling in Tuscany, “Gardens in Italy: Villa Lante

Villa Lante, “Palazzina Montalto” and “Palazzina Gambara

Palazzina Gambara

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara including a depiction of Villa Lante itself. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara including a depiction of Villa Lante itself. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of the frescoes inside  Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of the frescoes inside Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes on the ceiling of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes on the ceiling of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes on the ceiling of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes on the ceiling of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Gambara. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Montalto

After Cardinal Gambara’s death in 1587, the 17-year-old nephew of Pope Sixtus V, Alessandro Damasceni Peretti Montalto, took over the position of Apostolic Administrator of Viterbo and owner of Villa Lante. Montalto commissioned the building of the …

After Cardinal Gambara’s death in 1587, the 17-year-old nephew of Pope Sixtus V, Alessandro Damasceni Peretti Montalto, took over the position of Apostolic Administrator of Viterbo and owner of Villa Lante. Montalto commissioned the building of the second palazzina, following Gambara’s original plans.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Montalto. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Montalto. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Montalto. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Montalto. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Montalto. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Montalto. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Montalto. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Montalto. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Frescoes inside the loggia of Villa Lante’s Palazzina Montalto. Bagnaia, Viterbo, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Stunning ceilings of Ferrara

Detail of the Treasure Room ceiling in Palazzo Costabili (aka, Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro), Ferrara. Fresco by Benvenuto Tisi, called il Garofalo, from 1506. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of the Treasure Room ceiling in Palazzo Costabili (aka, Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro), Ferrara. Fresco by Benvenuto Tisi, called il Garofalo, from 1506. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Italy has no shortage of richly painted ceilings (see previous posts about Florence, Siena, Ravenna, and Vicenza for examples), but these frescoed wonders seem especially concentrated in Ferrara, where several Renaissance-era palazzos have opened their doors as public museums. The result is an almost overwhelming presence of densely decorated interiors that compliment, and even compete with, the eye-level displays.

Mirror reflecting one of many frescoed ceilings in Castello Estense, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Mirror reflecting one of many frescoed ceilings in Castello Estense, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Ceiling of the Ducal Chapel in Castello Estense, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Ceiling of the Ducal Chapel in Castello Estense, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Ceiling in Palazzo Costabili (aka, Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro), Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Ceiling in Palazzo Costabili (aka, Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro), Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Loggia degli Aranci (1560–70), Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Loggia degli Aranci (1560–70), Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Renaissance-Baroque interior of Chiesa di Santa Maria in Vado, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Renaissance-Baroque interior of Chiesa di Santa Maria in Vado, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Castello Estense, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Castello Estense, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of the Treasure Room ceiling in Palazzo Costabili (aka, Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro), Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of the Treasure Room ceiling in Palazzo Costabili (aka, Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro), Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of a ceiling in Palazzo Costabili (aka, Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro), Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of a ceiling in Palazzo Costabili (aka, Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro), Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

497DB34F-4515-4A9F-A6F1-F06CBAA19D5C_1_201_a.jpeg
Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Vado, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Vado, Ferrara. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.