The Gilt Room

The Gilt Room was designed as the climax to the state sequence of rooms on the ground floor. It was the last room that guests would visit before they retired to bed after dinner, and so would leave a lasting impression on them. Also, in the 17th century, the room would have been lit by hundreds of candles, and must have looked very impressive with the gilt work glowing and sparkling.
The interior is 17th century, but has been considerably restored over the years. The wooden panelling is made from pine, that was then painted to make it look like walnut. This was not a cost-cutting excercise, but another way for the family to show off their tremendous wealth. The gilt work, though recently restored, is exactly as it would have been when the room was first created. The ceiling in the room is the only 17th century ceiling to survive on the ground floor, showing a scene called 'A glorification of Pope Urban VIII's reign'. It is a detail of a ceiling that hangs in the Palazzo Barbarini in Rome. The fireplace is also inspired by the Italian style, being a copy of an Italian altar place. The barley twist columns are again made from pine, but painted to resemble marble, as is the grey stone work.

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