Giulio Monteverde, busto di Umberto I di Savoia, sala degli affreschi
Hall of Frescoes
This is the only museum room decorated with frescoes, realised at the time the palace was built.
The frescoes are in the Pompeian style. The walls are separated into sections by architectural frames and trompe-l’oeil, in the frames we can see tondos and central almonds containing representations (an urban landscape) and garlands in sombre colours. The vault creates the illusion of an open air pavilion, framed by trellises and decorated with vines, vases and four red figures at the corners, surrounded by greenery. At the centre we can see the sun’s chariot between the clouds, while the zodiac signs appear in the sections of sky not covered by drapes.
In the room we can also see the rest of the series of busts from Asilo Rossi representing the Royal family.
They represent:
Vittorio Emanuele III of Savoia, unattributed; Margherita of Savoia by Carlo Nicoli.
Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I of Savoia, both by Giulio Monteverde.
(’’Busti Rossiani’’)
In addition to the Allegory of Fidelity by French artist Louis Dorigny (’’Dorigny’’), there are two important female sculptures:
The Tessitrice(Spinner) by (’’Tessitrice’’) Antonio Tantardini and
il Nudo di donna (Female nude) (’’Nudo di Donna’’) by Gaetano Veronese.