Ladies Hall

Continuing the visit, having regained the loggia corridor, immediately on the right is the entrance from the Hall of the Ladies, whose walls narrate a decisive part of the Contrari family history, showing in frescoes the coats of arms of some of the consorts (the ladies) of the feudal lords of Vignola. It is therefore likely that this room was reserved for the wives of the hosts.

The coat of arms of the Pio family, lords of Carpi, belongs to Camilla, second wife of Uguccione Contrari; the coat of arms of the Rangoni family commemorates Beatrice and wife of Nicolò Contrari, first count of Vignola; the coat of arms of the Campofregoso family belongs to Battistina, wife of Ambrogio Contrari. The presence in the hall of the coat of arms of the Pico di Mirandola family is still an enigma since no member of this family has ever contracted marriage with a descendant of the Contrari house. On the vault can be discerned traces of a fifth coat of arms, which cannot be identified with certainty because of damage to the fresco, and which according to a recent hypothesis may belong to the Campeggi nobles of Bologna.

Frescoed in the keystone is a rose window with the initials M and C, most likely the initials of Mainardo Contrari, Uguccione’s father.