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Trausnitz Castle

Fools' Staircase (Room 2)

Picture: Wall painting at the Fools' Staircase

Pantalone riding on a donkey, while Zanni plunges an enema into the animal

 

 

Prince Wilhelm – who later became Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria – had the famous Fools' Staircase painted with life-size figures from the Italian Commedia dell'arte.

 

 

Wall painting at the Fools' Staircase

Pantalone with a dagger, followed
by Zanni with lance and lantern

This farce about love and jealousy improvised by travelling players always features the same characters, including the Venetian merchant Pantalone and his servant Zanni.

The Landshut Fools' Staircase is the earliest and only monumental pictorial record of this popular court entertainment. The paintings were designed by Friedrich Sustris, who trained in Florence, and produced by Alessandro Padovano in 1575-1579.

 

 


internal link back to the
"New Knights' Hall" (first room of the tour)

Small plan of the palace (ground floor) showing the present position Present position

internal link further on to the
"Cabinet in the Italian Extension (ground floor)"

 

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