The Parrot Room
Sala dei Pappagalli
The Parrot Room is named for the bird motif (the birds are actually imperial eagles) in the beautiful silk lampas wall coverings, which have a green background and were made in France. The room divides the King's Apartment, extending along the internal courtyard, from the Queen's Apartment, which follows the southern axis. The Savoy's eclectic taste is particularly evident in these public and private rooms, as described in the 1911 Inventory. Of particular note is the clock, with its chased and gilded bronze shelf and black marble base, made in 1812 by the famous Parisian bronze maker, Pierre Philippe Thomire. The clock is a not uncommon instance of the "recycling" of works of art typical of the Restoration (c. 1815): the original bust of Napoleon was replaced with the bust of Ferdinando III and the imperial eagle with the allegorical figure of Tuscany. The table cover of silk and gilded silver, in Louis XV style, is in particularly good taste. Filippo Napoletano's Impruneta Fair, a depiction of the famous fair held near Florence every October 18th, is, on the other hand, more consistent with popular themes and sensibility. (To see a reproduction of this painting, go to "Cosimo II as a Collector".)