Page - 314 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Volume 1

Chapter 5314 107 Francolin 1561, § xv: ‘Von Procession’: ‘Nach disen allem / ist hochgedachte Rö: Kay: May: wider haimb geritten/ und das mittagmal in der grossen tafl stuben eingenommen / und zu thisch gesessen wie du hernach in diser nachvolgender figur sehen wirdest’. § xxvi, ‘Vom Fruemal’, gives the disposition at table (unnumbered pages). The print describes itself as: ‘QUO MODO CAE: MAI:tas  VNA CVM LIBERIS EIVS PRANDIVM SVMPSERIT EFFICTIO 1560’. The location of this space is now clarified by Holzschuh-Hofer 2014 (a), pp. 127–129. It describes the festivities organized in honour of a visit of Duke Albrecht v of Bavaria and his consort, Archduchess Anna, a rare occasion on which Fer- dinand i’s family were all together. One print, by Hans Sebald Lautensack [Figs. 5.73–5.74], documents a joust taking place on the Turnierplatz (now In der Burg), looking towards the Hofburg from the north-west: the north-west wing with the Schweizertor can be seen in the centre, the extension for Ferdinand’s children that had just been completed on the right. The image shows a very sober architecture in the classical style: the plain plastered walls were held to- gether by rusticated quoins at the corners and pierced by rectangular windows set in simple stone frames carried on brackets and topped by flat entablatures. The steep roofs were carried on narrow cornices, that of the Hofburg proper was dotted by dormer windows and tall chimneys, while that of the extension was interrupted by three larger, turret-like dormers topped by small square cu- polas covered with sheets in copper or lead. The extension appears to have had the same dimension and rhythmic articulation as the main facade, except for the upper (third) floor, which was higher and had taller windows. Presumably it was intended at some future time to modify the facade of the main building in a similar way, thus creating another floor of more commodious lodgings. Of the interior decoration of the Hofburg in this period hardly more is known than that several rooms and the Augustinergang had painted deco- ration executed by Pietro Ferrabosco and that the furniture included a great many tapestries. The only image we have is another, impressive print from Francolin’s Thurnierbuch, showing the festive and ceremonial lunch (‘Mitttag- mal’ or ‘Fruemal’) of the Imperial family, which took place on Corpus Christi, the third day of the festivities, i.e. 14 June 1560. According to Francolin, who de- scribed the placing in detail, the banquet took place in the ‘grosse tafl stuben’, that is the large dining chamber that appears to have been identical with one of the principal chambers of Ferdinand’s apartment, also known as ‘Grüne Stube’ (Green Chamber) or ‘Wartstube’ (antechamber).107 The print [Fig. 5.75] is signed by the court-painter Francesco Terzio. It provides a fascinating image of court-ceremonial on festive occasions, showing the Imperial family dining in public, served by their highest-ranking courtiers. These hand them the food provided in the several courses (‘portate’) brought to their table in a ceremo- nial procession preceded by an official carrying a rod of office, wending its way