Palazzo Te | Sala dei Cavalli

Intended for the reception of guests and the most important ceremonies, the Sala dei Cavalli, probably built between 1526 and 1528, takes its name from the life-size portraits of the steeds painted in the lower part of the frescoed walls.
Federico II Gonzaga, like his ancestors, raised them in the famous Gonzaga stables and held them in the highest regard, considering them the highest homage that could be paid to an illustrious guest.
Some still bear their name at the bottom, among the hooves: Morel Favorito, the gray horse on the south wall; Dario, the clearest on the north face.
Horses, which stand out against the backdrop of landscapes, dominate a grandiose architecture painted on the walls, punctuated by Corinthian pilasters and niches that house statues of divinities or, above the windows, busts of famous characters.
The upper part of the aisle is characterized by bas-reliefs in fake bronze that describe the labors of Hercules. The frieze, which runs immediately under the marvelous gilded wooden ceiling with the feat of the salamander and Mount Olympus, is populated by cherubs who move between masks and graceful multicolored spirals.