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What the Medici, Visconti, Sforza, Este and Farnese families were to Florence and other Italian cities, the Gonzagas were in Mantua – a ruling dynasty that held sway for centuries (1328 – 1706) and left behind a priceless heritage in works of art. Something of the grandeur of their court can be seen in the City’s major attraction, the Palazzo Ducale, which is not one but several buildings comprising, it is said, some 500 rooms, including 15 courtyards, gardens and internal squares. The Gonsagas patronized such luminaries as the painter Andrea Mantegna, the architect Leon Battista Alberti and the humanist and poet, Politian. The family’s glory endured through Vicenzo I, who was a friend to Tasso and commissioned the world’s first opera masterpiece, Monteverdi’s ORFEO. The glory declined after the senior branch of the family died out in 1627 and the last family member died in 1708. The Piazzo Tè is one of the most visited sites in Mantova and was the summer palace for Federico II, an extremely cultured man with questionable moral standards, and was completely restored in 1988.The Palazzo Tè was decorated by Giulio Romano and is situated on the outskirts of the town since it was built from 1525 – 1535 as a Gonsaga “country” retreat and horse-breeding far. It’s mannerist style parodies the classicism of the previous generation. The Sala dei Cavalli with Frescoes depicting Federico’s favorite horses, the Sala di Psiche with its voluptuous scenes on the theme of the marriage of Love (Cupid) and Psiche (Psyche), and the Sala dei Giganti, floor-to-ceiling with colossal giants, are among the most striking rooms painted by Romano and his collaborators.

thank you Pat for the historical context!  We feel that Mantova is definitely a city not to be missed if one is visiting the Lombardi region in Italy. William Shakespeare chose Mantova as the city that Romeo was banished to in “Romeo and Juliet”! A wonderful way to spend our last day in Italy. Grazie ….arrividerci!