Renaissance woman profiled in portrait medallion painted between sprays of flowers on wooden ceiling within the Magno Palazzo or Grand Palace, former residence of the Prince-Bishops of Trent at Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. The palace was founded in 1528 in the Castello del Buonconsiglio fortress by Cardinal Bernardo Clesio or Cles, Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire and prince-bishop from 1514-39. Its decorative scheme blends mythological subjects with historical scenes and imperial motifs such as the arms and portraits of Hapsburg emperors.


Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy: Renaissance woman profiled in a circular portrait medallion in 16th century decoration painted on a wooden panel of a ceiling within the imposing Magno Palazzo or Grand Palace, former residence of the Prince-Bishops of Trent or Trentino. The Magno Palazzo was built within the Castello del Buonconsiglio fortress complex by Cardinal Bernardo Clesio or Cles (born 1484), prince-bishop from 1514 to 1539 and also Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire. The palace, begun in 1528, stands beside the 13th century Castelvecchio or Old Castle and has four wings surrounding a central courtyard with a frescoed Venetian loggia on the south side. Inside, the decorative scheme is complex, with many motifs aligned with Cardinal Clesio’s humanist beliefs. The artworks mix mythological, allegorical and imperial themes, with scenes inspired by ancient Roman history as well as portraits and coats of arms of the Hapsburg emperors. The Castello del Buonconsiglio was home to the prince-bishops from the 13th century to 1802. The Castelvecchio is dominated by a cylindrical medieval tower, while the Magno Palazzo is built in Renaissance style and the late 17th century Giunta Albertiana wing is Baroque. At the south of the complex stands the Torre Aquila, which houses the Cycle of the Months, a masterpiece of Gothic fresco art offering a fascinating secular view of both noble and peasant daily life in the late Middle Ages.


Size: 4191px × 2784px
Location: Castello del Buonconsiglio, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1485-1539, 1500s, 16th, adige, architecture, art, artwork, background, beams, bernardo, bishop, bishopric, bishops, black, buonconsiglio, cardinal, castello, castle, catholic, ceiling, century, cles, clesio, costume, , decoration, decorative, del, europe, european, facing, female, floral, flowers, grand, hair, interior, italian, italy, kerr, lady, long, magno, medallion, museo, north, northern, nose, painted, painting, palace, palazzo, panel, portrait, portraits, prince, profile, province, renaissance, roman, sprays, terence, tied, trentino, trentino-alto, trento, woman, wood, wooden