Esoteric knowledge concerns profound aspects of life, the cosmos and the divine, often reserved for a restricted group of initiates who seek inner and hidden knowledge. References to the city of Turin are well known, but Asti also offers a wide range of interesting symbolism.<\/p>\n\n
THE HAMMER<\/p>\n\n
Mazzetti\u2019s coat of arms, featuring three clubs symbolising strength, could also refer to the hammer, an emblem of work, a tool for shaping matter and a Masonic symbol of intelligence.<\/p><\/p>\n\n
In the alcove, the 1684 fresco depicting Selene and Endymion refers to the love between the goddess of the moon and a simple shepherd, whose union gave birth to 50 children, becoming a wish for a large lineage for Mazzetti\u2019s, but also recalls the feminine principle, intuition and the unconscious linked to the depiction of the moon.<\/p>\n\n
THE PHILOSOPHICAL STONE AND THE ARMILLARY SPHERE<\/p>\n\n
This Allegory of Science from Genoa depicts in the mid-17th century a woman with a stone on her forehead, possibly a reference to the philosophical stone, an alchemical symbol of material and spiritual perfection and wisdom through the purification of raw matter. The woman appears through a curtain, representing the veil that hides the truth that science seeks to reveal, and is accompanied by an armillary sphere, an astronomical instrument representing the celestial sphere associated with knowledge, a snake, symbol of rebirth and renewal as it is an animal that sheds its skin, and a book, indicating love of knowledge.<\/p><\/p>\n\n
THE SPHINX<\/p>\n\n
In the gallery with 23,000 gold leaves, some sphinxes appear, that in the esoteric context of the 18th century embody an enigmatic presence and an invitation to explore the mysteries of life and death. Sphinx is frequently adopted as a symbol of discernment and initiation in Masonic lodges and, being composed of a lion and a human, represents the duality between the material and spiritual worlds.<\/span><\/p>\n\n THE ROD OF ASCLEPIUS<\/p>\n\n The Zodiac Room depicts Cronos looming over the allegory of Beauty and the signs of the zodiac in the lunettes, where references to astrology and the influence of the stars on human lives are evident.<\/p> On the frescoed ceiling of what was once a dining room for special occasions, there are also two cherubs holding a vine leaf and the rod of Asclepius respectively. This representation clearly shows the contrast between the Dionysian spirit and the ancient Greek symbol of Medicine, depicting a snake coiled around a rod and associated with Asclepius, the Greek god of healing.<\/p><\/p>\n\n THE BANKER AND THE MASONIC MAYOR<\/p>\n\n The portrait of Turin banker and Freemason Giovanni Giacomo Vinay, painted by Sophie Giordano Clerc in 1813, has recently been linked to the discovery of the Falicon or Ratapignata Cave in Nice, located on a land owned by the banker and at the entrance to which stands a Masonic pyramid.<\/span><\/p>\n\n