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A Wunderkammer-or what was known as a cabinet of curiosities in England-was a private space where an array of objects of diverse origins and no apparent relation were set out for pure pleasure, scientific inquiry, or to showcase their owner's erudition generally. Numerous monarchs, and particularly those of the House of Habsburg (Rudolf Il and Ferdinand Il, above all), attributed a political meaning to their Wunderkammern. Emperors, kings, and archdukes invested great sums to create dense, intense spaces, displaying marvelous objects renowned for their vast number and variety. Their specific aim was to assemble items representing power from distant lands, clearly the outcome of diplomatic acumen and well-cultivated relations. Fantastic objects associated with scientific pursuits contributed to the prestige of the elite with an allure bordering on magic: alchemy, biology, astrology, and astronomy. Surprise, emo-tion, beauty, power, awe, and trembling: with their Isola Bella (a Wunderkammer afloat in Lake Maggiore), the Borromeo family well understood that the ability to seize the imagination and elicit dreams was a clear statement of power and prestige.
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