Neo-Renaissance fireplace, Florentine or Tuscan area, 19th century and earlier; Carrara marble, 200 x 280 cm. The imposing fireplace, made of Carrara marble, represents a fine example of the revival of Renaissance culture sought after in noble European circles. The decoration is elegant and elaborate. The two square-based pillars feature an ornamental motif reminiscent of grotesques. The term "grotesque" derives from the "grottoes" of the Esquiline Hill, i.e. the underground remains of Nero's Domus Aurea discovered in 1480; they became highly appreciated by patrons and painters of the sixteenth century, including Raphael, whose frescoes in the Loggetta of Cardinal Bibbiena in the Vatican are remembered. The similar grotesques, made in bas-relief on several levels of depth (so much so that they resemble Donatello's stiacciato in some places), feature a whirlwind of monstrous figures and fantastic winged animals, among which we can recognize a chimera and beasts, a putto imprisoned by snakes, cornucopias, festoons and shields; above an elaborate vase full of grapes and fruits, an eagle stands triumphantly on its nest, holding in its beak a snake that writhes and tries in vain to attack it. The top ends with a Corinthian-mixed capital.