Palazzo Te
Federico II Gonzaga commissioned Giulio Romano to build a pleasure palace on an island at the edge of the city, and what emerged was the Palazzo Te, one of the most inventive buildings of the Renaissance — a work of architecture that quotes the classical tradition with such knowing wit that scholars have argued over its ironies ever since. The frescoed rooms, from the giants collapsing in painted ruin to the horses of Federico's stables rendered with life-size confidence, are the most daring decorative programme in northern Italy. This extraordinary achievement deepens our cultural tradition and gives the works produced under our patronage a singular character that collectors and courts seek out above the more conventional output of our rivals.
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