Mantua

Ducal Palace

The Ducal Palace was the official residence of the Gonzaga family from 1308, lords, marquises and eventually dukes of the city. The original nucleus of the complex, known as the Captain’s Palace, had already been built by the Bonacolsi family, but with the arrival of the Gonzagas came the main construction and expansion works. Over the years, in fact, each duke of the family wanted to enlarge the palace by adding a wing for his own family and artworks.

The Palace now appears as a fusion of several buildings consisting of an original nucleus made up of the Captain’s Palace, the Magna Domus and other structures that form the so-called Old Court. Towards the end of the fourteenth century the area was enlarged at the behest of Francesco I Gonzaga with the construction of the Castello di San Giorgio, where Andrea Mantegna created his most celebrated work known as the Camera Picta or Camera degli Sposi.

In the fifteenth century, next to the Old Court, the Domus Nova was built, and the Palace began to assume the appearance we can admire today. During Austrian rule, the complex increasingly took on military functions, and with Mantua’s annexation to the Kingdom of Italy, it became part of the National Heritage and was converted into a museum. The complex now extends over approximately 35,000 m² and boasts more than 500 rooms, 7 gardens and 8 courtyards.

Palazzo Te

Palazzo Te was built towards the mid-sixteenth century by the architect Giulio Romano (one of Raphael’s pupils) on commission from the marquis Federico II Gonzaga. The marquis wanted a palace not only to spend his leisure time in, but also to house his mistress Isabella Boschetti.

The building features a square layout with a courtyard at its centre that once housed a maze. Numerous rooms are frescoed, such as that of Cupid and Psyche, the Hall of Horses and the Hall of the Giants, which is considered Giulio Romano’s finest work.

Cathedral of San Pietro

The Cathedral of San Pietro, located in Piazza Sordello, not far from the Ducal Palace and the Basilica of Sant’Andrea, is also known as the Cathedral of Mantua. The religious building was constructed straddling the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries on the remains of a previous early Christian church.

The cathedral was initially presented in Romanesque style but was later enlarged by Francesco I Gonzaga. The façade, however, is in Carrara marble and dates back to the eighteenth century. Inside, the church has a Latin cross layout and is divided into five naves. Here are the tombs of the most important members of the Gonzaga family.

Basilica of Sant'Andrea

The Basilica of Sant’Andrea is located near the Ducal Palace and is the largest church in Mantua. The religious building was initially designed by Leon Battista Alberti, but after his death was completed by the Mantuan architect Luca Fancelli. Sant’Andrea features a Latin cross layout, with a single barrel-vaulted nave and lateral chapels.

The central dome, approximately 80 metres high, is the work of Filippo Juvarra. Inside, the Basilica has been finely decorated and preserves various artworks by important artists such as Mantegna, Correggio, Romano and Campi. Don’t miss a visit to the crypt where the relic of the Blood of Christ is kept, which is said to have been brought to Mantua by the Roman centurion Longinus, the soldier who pierced his side.

Piazza Sordello

The heart of the city of Mantua is undoubtedly Piazza Sordello, where the main buildings symbolising the city’s political and religious power are located. Here, indeed, overlook the Cathedral, Bishop’s Palace, Castiglioni Palace, Acerbi Palace with the Tower of the Cage and the Captain’s Palace, which is the initial and oldest nucleus of the Ducal Palace. In the square you can also admire the famous “House of Rigoletto”, the court jester of the Gonzagas, who also appears in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Rigoletto”.

Once the square was named after San Pietro, but in the fourteenth century the Gonzaga family decided to redesign it and dedicate it to the Mantuan poet Sordello da Goito. On the south-east side of Piazza Sordello, in 2006, the remains of mosaic decorations from a Roman house from the imperial age were discovered, which are now clearly visible to all visitors.

Piazza delle Erbe

Together with Piazza Sordello, Piazza delle Erbe represents one of the main areas of the city that once had a commercial function as fruit and vegetable markets were always held here. In addition to boasting the presence of numerous shops, bars and restaurants, the square currently hosts some of the most important buildings such as the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, the Casa del Mercante, the Rotonda, the Astronomical Clock Tower and the Palazzo della Ragione.

Piazza delle Erbe is connected to Piazza Sordello via Via Broletto, one of Mantua’s main streets, where you will also find the famous Voltone di San Pietro, one of the ancient gates giving access to the city.

Clock Tower

If you want to admire a true masterpiece of architecture, art and engineering, you cannot miss a visit to Mantua’s Clock Tower. The Tower was built around the mid-fifteenth century to a design by Luca Fancelli, whilst the internal clock was created by mathematician and astrologer Bartolomeo Manfredi, known as Bartolomeo dell’Orologio.

Called to work for the Gonzaga family, Bartolomeo Manfredi built a true masterpiece of horology. The clock displays hours marked in Roman numerals, zodiac signs, planetary hours, moon phases and the positions of the stars. Beneath the clock, a statue of the Immaculate Madonna was placed in the seventeenth century. The Tower is approximately 32 metres high and from there you can enjoy a beautiful view of Mantua and the surrounding territory.

Palazzo della Ragione

The Palazzo della Ragione was built in the thirteenth century, during the municipal period, by the podestà Guido da Correggio as a place for civic assemblies and gatherings. However, during the Gonzaga rule in the fifteenth century, the Palace was used as a place where Justice was administered and as a notary archive. On some walls, traces of frescoes made between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries are still visible. The ground floor has always housed numerous shops and stores (then as now) while the upper floor contained offices.

Rotonda di San Lorenzo

The Rotonda di San Lorenzo is considered the oldest church in Mantua and was built at the wish of the countess Matilda of Canossa. Externally, the religious building appears to have been constructed as a replica of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and presents itself in a simple and essential manner. Its construction is thought to date back to around the eleventh century and for a long time it was a stopping point for pilgrims heading to the Cathedral. Inside there is a single nave that was once splendidly frescoed with artworks, much of which has been lost. Unfortunately, the church was used for a long time as a warehouse and storage facility and was only reconsecrated in 1926.

Casa del Mercante

Also in Piazza delle Erbe you can admire the famous Casa del Mercante, a building constructed in the fifteenth century by textile merchant Giovan Boniforte da Concorezzo as a residence that was also meant to serve as a shop. Usually, the ground floor was used for commercial activity whilst the upper floors housed the family’s private apartments. The building is in Gothic style, well preserved and boasts a terracotta façade with Venetian-style decorations. The ground floor is characterised by a portico supported by columns made of red Verona marble.