Historical itineraries for schools
Great court theatre
Coloured plumes, silver sequins, fire-spitting dragons, plus winged genies, satyrs, butterflies and multicoloured birds give form to a painted stage set that is the perfect backdrop for court entertainments. Silvery clouds and blue skies are used for the stories of Bacchus and Ariadne, the adventures of Hercules and the fury of the Maenads. The Castello’s rooms provided the stage to delight the court, floors for dancing to the notes of the king’s composers, and provided the setting for a large theatre in which to perform the ballets that offered a blend of costume, architecture and arabesques. The historic decorations provide the starting point to explore different materials and realise a magical casket in which architectural elements, characters and musical instruments enable us to experience the seductive atmosphere of baroque theatre, in the illusion that light offers us in illuminating materials, forms and colours. The itinerary makes it possible to examine the rich iconographic repertoire of the Castello’s splendid rooms and so embark on a voyage into history, immersing oneself into the life of the court and understanding how the perception of space and our relationship with it has changed since the 18th century. A chance to observe the decorations, stuccos, frescos, landscapes and painted skies by peering upwards, and to learn to read antique stories.
Myth-hunting. The four elements
The ceilings of the Castello di Rivoli’s historic rooms tell the stories of gods and heros, satyrs and nymphs, sphinxes and harpies, the legendary inhabitants of Olympus and Arcadia, the fabled region of Greece in which harmony and beauty reigned supreme. Peering upwards, we shall discover the many references to the elements of nature present in the stories painted: the Sun’s chariot, the rise of the Aurora, the musical vibrations of the court of Bacchus, the divinities and fruits of the Earth, the personifications of the rivers. Legend has accompanied the history of humanity since it first appeared, and expresses a vision of the world based on the union with nature, with the elements in which man lives totally immersed. The need to personify, to humanise nature in one’s own image and resemblance expresses itself in mythology.
Organisation of the activity
ENTIRE DAY AT THE MUSEUM Guided visit and workshops for the whole day from 10 am to about 3.30 pm. The Museum has space indoors for lunch should the weather be poor.
PRICE € 6.00 per pupil. Free of charge for accompanying teachers.
HALF DAY AT THE MUSEUM Guided visit and workshop in the morning or afternoon. Morning from 10 am to about 12 noon. Afternoon from 1.30/2 pm to 3.30/4 pm.
PRICE € 4.00 per pupil. Free of charge for accompanying teachers.
INFORMATION AND BOOKING Education Department Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Piazza Mafalda di Savoia 10098 Rivoli (TO), Italy) www.castellodirivoli.org Tel. +39 011.9565213 , educa@castellodirivoli.org