Frescoes in the Villa Emo, Fanzolo di Vedelago (1564-66)

The residential complex of the Emo family in Fanzolo was built between 1554 and 1561 by Andrea Palladio. The decoration of the interior, seven rooms and the central hall, was commissioned by Leonardo Emo, a Venetian patrician, from Giovanni Battista Zelotti. The subject matter of the fresco cycle is the fecundity of the earth and conjugal union, which, together, constitute the solid foundation of a family's prosperity. Every room has a fresco above the door in imitation of a painting on canvas, and each of theses frescoes features a Christian subject that corresponds to the ancient gods.