There is a sort of visual narrative running through the affairs of the house of Este ever since its origins: patronage, humanist culture, pomp and splendour, collecting, an incredible web of relations with other courts of the day in Italy and the rest of Europe due to blood bonds and clever diplomacy, and all the visiting craftsmen, men of letters, scholars and musicians, not to mention the University founded in 1309. The exhibition displays over 150 works (paintings, sculptures, ceramics, historical and literary documents, and meticulously finished manuscripts) by Cosmè Tura, Francesco del Cossa, Ercole de´ Roberti, Donatello, Mantegna, Tiziano. The furbishing follows a path through decorative walls tinted in an old-fashioned pink colour, lined with glass cabinets and shelves. The spaces are instantly recognisable with their striking ceilings left open to view and often decorated or frescoed. The lighting comes from halogen sources from a regular power supply fitted on a twin-cabled support system with sandblasted protective glass. The light projecting out in all directions from the lamps means the works can be viewed without any interfering shadows or distracting chiaro-scuro effects. Dimmers have been provided to conform to the regulation luminance ratings. The row of lights sets and borders the route, creating a slightly "starry" effect and setting the frescoes in their perfect "light".