Musei Civici di Arte Antica
Comune di Ferrara

The Golden Hall, so called for the plaster and gold leaf decorations shining from its sumptuous ceiling, is located in a wing of the ancient Ducal Palace that, in the last two centuries, was used as a private residence.
Just in 2010 the Ferrara city reacquired the property and started a first restoration, during which the precious wooden artefact was brought to light.

Only original ceiling preserved intact until this day, it is constituted by a series of romboidal coffers embellished by a close painted paper covering on which is inserted a rich weaving of golden plaster rosettes.

The artwork, datable to the second half of the XV Century, was most probably realised when Ercole I, Duke of Ferrara, transformed the ancient residence of the Este family in a sumptuous palace of typically Renaissance flavour.

The wooden coffered ceiling, now fully restored, is covered in its entirety with painted paper, applied through glue.
In the squares is repeated the same floreal pattern, obtained through casts and a light-blue background, at the centre of which stands out a rosette in golden plaster. Around the squares, laths and bands display stylised yello-orange laurel leaves and white highlights to provide the illusion of patterns typical of wooden frames. With the same tecnique was realised the frieze below.

The preparatory analyses carried out in the Golden Hall brought to light also fragments of XV Century frescoes, predating the ceiling, distributed along the whole wall facing the Ducal Court (now piazza Municipale).
On the painted band are well identifiable the tritons painted on red background in the traditional pose of pouring water.






Image credits:

The Golden Hall, detail of the ceiling restored
photo: Clara Coppini

The Golden Hall, Triton is pouring water, fresco (detail)
photo: Clara Coppini