When we have visited Il giardino dei tarocchi close to Capalbio in Tuscany last week we had been taken by the sphinx-like Empress house.
In 1983 Niki de Saint Phalle moved into the huge sculpture The Empress, designed in the form of a sphinx, which served as her studio and home for seven years during a period of intense work to complete the Tarot Garden. She has decided to use ceramics in addition to mirrors and glass for the sculptures.
The interior is completely covered with mirror shades of different sizes and shapes. The light that comes through the small porthole like windows creates a magical atmosphere.
