The “Sala di Agostino Carracci” in the Palazzo del Giardino

Abstract

After his family had been given the duchy of Parma, Ottavio Farnese I bought the Quattrocento fortress on the outskirts of the city, formerly known as the Castello Sforza, and in 1561 began to remodel it as a garden pleasure palace.¹ The most significant of his alterations was the landscaping of the large area surrounding the castello with pleasure gardens, in which he placed rare plants, statues, vases, and a fountain. Following this metamorphosis the name of the building was changed to Palazzo del Ciardino.²