mappamuseo

Grand Salon

The Grand Salon, the house’s reception room par excellence, is the biggest room in the Bagatti Valsecchi home. The brothers created a room of double height, and embellished the wooden coffers of the ceiling with gilded carved pinecones. An articulated illumination system makes the room shine in all its sumptuousness: a grand central chandelier, eight wall lamps and, in each of the corners of the room, four floor lamps. Initially lit with gas, these lamps were converted to electricity, as soon as it became available. The Bagatti Valsecchi home, in fact, was one of the first private homes in Milan to have electricity, underscoring Fausto’s and Giuseppe’s interest in technological advancements and in the most avant-garde inventions of their day.

Latin mottos

LAUDAMUS VETERES SED NOSTRIS UTIMUR ANNIS

Praise the past, but live our present (literally, our time)

(Ovid, Fasti / The Book of Days, I, v.225)

TO THE LEFT OF THE WOODEN CHOIR STALLS

CARPE DIEM QUAM MINIMUM CREDULUS POSTERO

Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow

(Horace, Odes, I, 11)

TO THE RIGHT OF THE WOODEN CHOIR STALLS

NOSCE TE IPSUM

Know yourself

(Motto chiseled on the temple of Apollo at Delphi, on which Socrates founded his philosophy)

ON THE WOODEN WALL REVETMENT ON THE VIA SANTO SPIRITO SIDE

ARS S(A)ECULOR(UM) VICTRIX

The winning art of the centuries

(Motto found in the council chamber of a big building in via Filodrammatici in Milan)

ARS SIBI PRAEMIUM

Art is its own reward

(Motto found in the council chamber of a big building in via Filodrammatici in Milan)

RESPICE FINEM

Keep your eye on the goal (literally: look to the goal)

(Petrarch, De remediis, cap.17)

AMICUM SECUNDAE RES PARANT ADVERSAE PROBANT

Favorable circumstances procure friends, adversity puts them to the test

(Pseudo Seneca, Book of Morals)

TO THE LEFT OF THE FIREPLACE

REBUS ANGUSTIS ANIMOSUS ATQUE FORTIS APPARE

In difficult situations, show yourself to be courageous and strong

(Horace, Odes, II, 10)

TO THE RIGHT OF THE FIREPLACE

QUAERE VERUM

Seek truth

ON THE WOODEN WALL REVETMENT ON THE VIA GESÙ SIDE

ARS PATRIAE DECUS

Art honors the homeland

ARS VOX AMORIS

Art, the voice of love

FESTINA LENTE

Hurry up, slowly

(Suetonius, Life of Augustus, cap. 25)

ARS LO(N)GA VITA BREVIS

Art is long, life is short

ON THE RIGHT HAND PILASTER OF THE DOOR ON THE RIGHT OF THE WOODEN CHOIR STALLS

IN LABORE VIRTUS

Virtue in work

(Motto of the Fenzi family of Florence)

ON THE LEFT HAND PILASTER OF THE DOOR ON THE RIGHT OF THE WOODEN CHOIR STALLS

CURRIT FEROX AETAS

Time flies inexorably (literally: time runs fiercely)

(Horace, Odes, II, 5)

ON THE RIGHT HAND PILASTER OF THE DOOR ON THE RIGHT OF THE FIREPLACE

SCRIPTA MANENT VERBA VOLANT

Things written down remain, words fly away

ON THE LEFT HAND PILASTER OF THE DOOR ON THE RIGHT OF THE FIREPLACE

Audio guide codes

13 - Grand Salon

450 - Chandelier