Section 10 - Main Floor - Part 2

Let us now discover the five rooms of the Piano Nobile, the main floor once reserved for the owners of the palace.The first room we come across is the Gentle Chapel where Mass was celebrated from 1759 onwards, following its recognition by Pope Clement XIII.Next is a 16th-century room known as the Picture Gallery. You can recognise it by its slate capitals and, above all, by the oil paintings on canvas, mostly from the Ligurian and Genoese schools, dating to the 17th and 18th centuries.We then come to the aristocratic Dining Room, decorated with 18th-century Genoese damask and featuring a monumental 17th-century clock from the Carthusian monastery of Toirano.The State bedroom, furnished with pieces from the 18th and early 19th centuries, is a fine example of a ceremonial room, highlighted by its impressive four-poster bed.But the room that best reveals the wealth of the palace is the Coat of Arms Room. Once used to receive and entertain guests, it served as a reception space. The precious 18th-century mirror with its carved frame and the painted coats of arms of the two noble families are signs that clearly reflects the high status of the owners of the owners of Domus d'Aste.Before you leave, be sure to visit the most intimate space of the Main Floor:  the boudoir or fumoir, a parlour where the owners would go to relax. Here you will find furnishings typical of affluent homes, such as the secrétaire, the sofa, and small footstools that were used by ladies engaged in embroidery.The main floor concludes the visit to the Ethnographic Museum. But Toirano still has much more to offer visitors! We suggest, for example, taking a pleasant walk through the village: an ancient medieval settlement whose history is still told by its surviving architecture… and by another audio guide, which you can listen to as you enjoy a stroll through its streets. And, if you haven't already done so, a visit to the Toirano Caves is highly recommended. There, you can discover remarkable traces of prehistoric life, including the footprints of one of the earliest pet dog known to history!For now, it is time to say goodbye.We hope you enjoy continuing to explore Toirano! See you again soon!