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Commissioned by the Duke of Mantua Federico II di Gonzaga for his lover Isabella Boschetti, Palazzo Te in Mantua is a masterpiece of Mannerism (late Renaissance style) by architect and painter Giulio Romano. Built between 1524 and 1534, Palazzo Te was a magnificent suburban villa intended for otium (leisure time) and parties of the Gonzaga court, r...

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THIS TOWER WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1281 by the Acerbi family for private purposes then sold to the Bonacolsi family.  In 1328, the Bonacolsi family were defeated by the Gonzaga family who took control of the city. The tower was left to slowly decay. In 1576, Duke Guglielmo Gonzaga decided to use the tower as an open-air jail. He constructed an iron cage...

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THIS CHURCH IS THE SEAT of the Mantua bishop and was originally constructed during the Early, Christian era, but it was burnt in 894. The only artifact that remains from that period is the bell tower basement. There is some belief that the basement was originally a Roman tower constructed on an Etruscan foundation. A Roman statue head is present ab...

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ON THE SURFACE OF LAGO Superiore (Lake Superior), one of the three lakes surrounding the city of Mantua, lies the largest expanse of lotus flowers outside of Asia. Known as Isola dei Fiori di Loto, or Lotus Island, it is a floating island split by small waterway that allows boats to cross. The lotus, Nelumbium nucifera, rise up from the water with...

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THE BASILICA DI SANT’ANDREA STANDS in Mantua’s historical center, overlooking the Piazza Mantegna. In the crypt are kept two reliquaries with earth soaked in the blood of Christ. Christian tradition holds that while Jesus was being crucified, a Roman soldier named Longinus pierced his side with a lance. After Jesus died, Longinus repented for his s...

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THE PALAZZO DEL TÈ WAS built in the 16th century as a leisure palace for Federico II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua. Italian artist and architect Giulio Romano, who had been a student of Raphael, designed the building. Today it is widely considered to be Romano’s masterpiece. The palace is filled with elaborate decorations and paintings—one room, know...

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Let’s start talking about Mantova by recommending a visit to Palazzo Te, the villa of leisure and entertainment, made at the request of Federico II Gonzaga in the first half of 1500, by Giulio Romano. The idea is to transform a stable of horses of the Gonzaga family in a villa of fun to use to welcome international guests and organize pompous parti...

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ITALY HAS HUNDREDS OF ANCIENT churches, but only a few feature the kind of wonder that makes Santuario della Beata Vergine delle Grazie stand out.  Inside the sanctuary of this church located in the Province of Mantua, visitors will find a large, taxidermied crocodile hanging from the ceiling, just beyond the main entrance. There are several other...

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THE ROTONDA DI SAN LORENZO is a church located in the main square of the city of Mantua in Northern Italy. It was constructed during the late 11th century during the reign of the powerful Canossa family. The church is a fine example of Romanesque architecture, with a central plan and Byzantine-style frescoes. It’s primarily composed of bricks, acco...

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Giulio Pippi De Iannuzzi, known to Art History as Giulio Romano, probably born in Rome in 1492, was Raphael's most famous and gifted pupil. He was trained in the workshop of the Urbino area, which now we know to have been a sort of pole of the arts where every artistic expression, from sculpture to painting, from engraving to ceramics, was managed...

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