A rare and imposing carved walnut hearth surround with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Francois I, king of France, probably Italian 19th century

with a protruding cornice above a frieze delicately carved with the Battle of Pavia, the corners carved with cartouches, the sides with soldiers, above two portrait medallions below a pediment enclosing a crowned salamander and above amorini, flanked and divided by vegetative and beastly grotesques, the base supported by two figures carved in full round, all on a plinth base

The battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of February 24, 1525, was the decisive engagement on the Italian War of 1521. A Habsburg army under the command the Holy Roman Emporer Charles V attacked the French army under the command of François I of France.The French were defeated and King François was imprisoned by Charles the V and taken to the fortress of Pizzighettone. Due to the skillful diplomacy of François' sister, Marguerite of Navarre, however, François would sign the Treaty of Madrid in 1526 and could return home safely.

The frieze is carved with the French troops depicted on the left and the troops of the Holy Roman Emperor on the right hand side. The medallions are carved with the portraits of King Francois I and probably that of his sister, Marguerite of Navarre, Dutchess of Berry.
The two figures supporting the lower part of the hearth are the Emperor Charles V on the left hand side and King François I on the right.