Marvelling at Mantua’s Palazzo Ducale

Palazzo Ducale

The city is dominated by the Palazzo Ducale de Mantova, more commonly referred to as the Ducal Palace (or the Doge’s Palace in English). This colossal complex of rooms, towers, churches and gardens was once the residence of the powerful Gonzaga family for 400 years, who ruled as the Dukes of Mantua until 1707.

With over 500 rooms, 8 courtyards and 7 gardens, and at 34,000m², this is the only residence in Italy that can claim to be bigger is the Vatican! In fact, it is the 6th largest palace in Europe after the Vatican, the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, the Royal Palace of Caserta and the Château de Fontainebleau.

The House of Gonzaga

The royal Gonzaga family ruled over the city of Mantua from the early 14th century until the turn of the 18th century. The Ducal Palace was built as their residence during the time they were in power. In 1433 they acquired the title of Marquis, then ascended to Duke in 1530. They were particularly patrons of the arts in the 15th and 16th centuries, including frescos and more within the Palazzo Ducal.

The palace went into decline in the 18th century, after the Gonzaga dynasty died out. It continued its decline into the 20th century when restoration finally began to undertake its preservation. With its restoration came decades of discoveries.

Discovering the Ducal Palace

The guided tour on our Classic Cruise gives you the opportunity to explore beautiful Baroque and neoclassical buildings, artworks, tapestries, frescoes and so much more…

Corte Vecchia

The Corte Vecchia is the oldest part of the complex. From it you can access the Palazzo del Capitano, linked to the Magna Domus around the year 1300 with a beautiful arcade.

In the same century, a series of stunning Arthurian frescos was painted by Pisanello in some of the rooms, glorifying the serving duke, Gianfrancesco Gonzaga. In the 1960s these incredible 700-year-old paintings were rediscovered here, and fragments of the frescos and their preliminary drawings can still be seen in the palace.

Castillo di San Giorgio

The Castle of St George is part of the Palazzo Ducale. Built in the space of 11 years, its size and design is magnificent, surrounded by a moat, with towers at each corner and drawbridges.

It was originally designed as a military outpost and is considered one of the best examples of late medieval military architecture. But within 50 years it was redesigned to become a noble residence. For many years it was the residence of Isabella d’Este, who surrounded herself with many famous artists, including Leonardo Da Vinci.

Isabella d’Este’s Studiolo

Isabella d’Este, who was Marchesa of Mantua around the turn of the sixteenth century, is known as the First Lady of the Renaissance. She was a patron of the arts and fashion leader of her day. A prolific letter writer, her life is well documented through her correspondence.

Her ‘studiolo’ in the palace – a place to display and enjoy her collection of antiques, paintings and books – was a Renaissance retreat from the outside world. It has unfortunately lost all its treasures to museums, but still boasts beautiful dark blue, starry walls.

Camera Picta

Another astounding room in the palace complex is the Camera Picta (Painted Room), also known as the Bridal Chamber. The walls are the canvas for a Renaissance masterpiece by Andrea Mantegna, painted between 1465 and 1474, which depicts the triumphs of the whole Gonzaga family.

Make sure you raise your eyes to the ceiling, where you’ll see one of the earliest examples of an illusionistic ‘di sotto in sù’ painting; an oculus (or opening in the dome) reveals a blue sky with cherubs playing around its rim.

Palatine Basilica of Saint Barbara

A palatine chapel is a place of worship especially for nobles. The church of Santa Barbara was built at the request of Duke Guglielmo Gonzaga and was originally connected to the palace directly. However, the link was closed in the 19th century as a separation of church and state. It was reopened to the public in 2018.

It is a stunning space, designed as a place for lavish ceremonies and sacred music. The original organ from 1565 is still in situ today. Restoration was undertaken on it from 1995, and completed after 11 years.

The Tapestries Room

The Tapestries Room is actually made up of 4 rooms adorned with 9 tapestries that depict stories from the Acts of the Apostles based on the artwork by Raphael for the Sistine Chapel. Cardinale Ercole Gonzaga purchased the tapestries from Brussels in the 16th century for the Church of Santa Barbara.

In the 1770s, the Church exchanged the worn tapestries with the Palazzo Ducale for new damask material. The tapestries were restored and placed in some of the rooms in the Appartamento Verde.

Napoleon’s Bed

A perfection of neoclassical architecture, the Sala dello Zodiaco showcases French rule during the 19th century. During this time the palace became an imperial residence and underwent many much-needed renovations and ultimately lustrous transformations.

The Napoleon bed is a symbol of this imperial era. It has recently been returned to the Sala dello Zodiaco room after a long and careful restoration, particularly of its soft furnishings. It truly demonstrates the grandeur of this time.

Dwarves Apartments

In the late 1500s, Cardinal Ferdinand had the architect, Viani, design a series of small rooms. These were known as the Appartamento dei nani or Dwarves Apartments. It was thought they were designed specifically for the famous court dwarves of Mantua.

However, in the 1970s, art historian Renato Berzaghi showed that they were in fact an exact reproduction of Scala Santa, the holy stairway of St. John Lateran in Rome and meant for devotional purposes.

Courtyards and Gardens

The Palazzo Ducale is in fact a collection of buildings. Connecting all these places are a seriesof corridors, galleries, courtyards and gardens. In the latter part of the 16th century, Duke Guglielmo Gonzaga gave unity to the palace, where before the buildings had been quite separated. His ‘Chief of Buildings’ created an imposing complex which unified connecting spaces, giving the palace its final structure.

Discover the Palazzo Ducale With La Bella Vita

With so much more to see and experience at the Palazzo Ducale, art and architecture lovers will savour this fascinating stop on our Italian river cruise aboard hotel barge La Bella Vita.