Marriage of Zenobia and Odaenathus

The Chapter Hall houses the tapestry series “Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra”, woven in Brussels by Geraert Peemans circa 1667.
Located on the right-hand wall, this tapestry depicts the marriage of Odaenathus to his second wife, Queen Zenobia. The scene is presented in the central position, with the offering of a white floral crown to Zenobia and the symbolic joining of hands between the couple. In the upper right, four women carry cornucopias, while next to Odaenathus two attendants hold olive branches. The religious marriage takes place in a temple, suggested by a portico and the figure of an elder, dressed in blue, performing an offering at the copper burner. The interplay of light and shadow and the vivid use of color highlight Queen Zenobia in this 4.57-meter-long tapestry.