This reception room, like all state rooms of the Old (Large) Hermitage, was redecorated by Andrei Stakenschneider in 1851-60. The room is a splendid example of an interior from the era of Historicism. The green jasper columns and pilasters decorated with ornamental painting, the gilded ornament on the ceiling and above the doors and decorative porcelain medallions give the room a special elegance. It contains a display of works by Italian artists of the 13th to early 15th century, including a cross with a depiction of the Crucifixion by Ugolino di Tedice, the Madonna, a panel of a diptych of the Annunciation, by Simone Martini and a Crucifixion with Mary and John by Niccolo di Pietro Gerini.
