– Sala da pranzo (dining room)

The dining room, the castle’s most opulent room, can be entered through a wooden framework that protects from the cold outside. On the riser of the carved cupboards, the precious crockery, embossed plates and aquamaniles point to the wealth of the lord. The coffered ceiling features painted panels with busts of well-dressed gentlemen and gentlewomen, animals, fruits and drôleries. At the top runs a frieze with white rabbits and flowers, interrupted by the portrait of King Arduin. These decorations were copied from a hall in Strambino Castle, Ivrea, now in ruins. The tables are on trestles, so they can be easily disassembled and transported; the tablecloths are in white linen with blue decorations. There is no abundance of diners’ crockery, as it was customary in the Middle Ages to serve oneself from trays of already-cut food, with more than one diner using the same plates. Among the remarkable wooden furnishings, the canopied throne stands out; this is the work of Luigi Gasperini, a highly skilled carver from Turin. On the central table is a silver vase, shaped like a sailing ship, where the gentlemen’s dishes were placed to protect them from the risk of poisoning. At the far end of the room is a stage with musicians who entertained at the castle banquets. This is masked by a fake tapestry painted in 1884 by Alessandro Vacca. The tapestry depicts a tournament designed by Federico Pastoris and inspired by the miniatures in the Livre du Roy Modus, a 14th-century manuscript belonging to the Dukes of Savoy.

COOKIE E PRIVACY POLICYACCESSIBILITÀCREDITS

BORGO MEDIEVALE – Viale Virgilio, 107 (Parco del Valentino) 10126 Torino

borgomedievale@comune.torino.it

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