Thalia

MONSERRATE - Music Room

Thalia, Muse of Comedy, her name derives from the Greek thallein (to bloom). She is usually depicted as a young woman crowned with an ivy garland, holding a mask and a shepherd's staff.
It seems appropriate to begin with the "blooming" Muse. Monserrate's Muses are to be found adorning the spandrels of the pointed arches supporting the music room dome. Generally nine in number a few more were added for good measure ... and symmetry.


The Music Room at Monserrate has 16 "Muses" including one who is not a Muse at all: Musagetes.