Mantua and Sabbioneta: Two Cities, One UNESCO Site

To discover Mantua is to follow the famous Percorso del Principe ('Prince's Route'), a thoroughfare that runs through the heart of the city, connecting, from north to south, the two masterpieces of the Gonzaga dynasty: the Palazzo Ducale and the Palazzo Te. This itinerary is not just an architectural stroll, but a true journey through time, tracing the urban development of the ancient Roman settlement via its three city walls, which today stand as silent witnesses to an ongoing metamorphosis.

The tour begins in the Etruscan-Roman foundation area, dominated by the majestic Piazza Sordello. Here stands the Palazzo Ducale, a 'palace in the form of a city' that, from 1328, became the symbol of Gonzaga power. Passing through the evocative Voltone di San Pietro, you enter the medieval and municipal heart of the city, where city life pulsates among the Renaissance porticoes of Piazza Erbe and Piazza Broletto. The route passes through public buildings and treasures such as the Rotonda di San Lorenzo and the Pescherie by Giulio Romano, where it crosses the Rio canal, the former boundary of the second city wall.

The final part of the itinerary leads towards the Renaissance expansion, passing by the Casa del Mantegna and the Temple of San Sebastiano, until it crosses the boundary of the third city wall. The grand finale is reserved for Palazzo Te, the incredible suburban villa designed by Giulio Romano. Once surrounded by the waters of Lake Paiolo, this Mannerist masterpiece still stands today as the pinnacle of Gonzaga hospitality and leisure, bringing this truly unique itinerary to a grand finale.

Giulio Romano’s Pescherie are the only public building designed by the artist, commissioned by Federico II Gonzaga in 1536. Under the arcades that form a bridge over the Rio, the market was held. Next to it, there were food warehouses: on your right, the fish warehouse; on your left, the meat warehouse, with the now-vanished Beccherie, the public slaughterhouse.

The presence of a watercourse facilitated transport and trade, and also made it easy to dispose of waste, making it one of the cleanest markets of the time. 

On the right-hand side of the road, you can see the original decorative 'rusticated' cladding of the structure, which Giulio Romano also used for Palazzo Te. The porticoes in front of you, on the other hand, are the result of restoration work and, in part, reconstruction. Where the last three arches stand today, there used to be the Church and Convent of San Domenico, of which only the bell tower remains. The very imposing church was closed during the Napoleonic era and converted into a meat warehouse. The fish markets remained in operation until the 1940s, while the butchers’ shops were demolished in 1877 and the convent in 1927.

Giulio Romano’s Pescherie houses one of the branches of the Mantua and Sabbioneta Heritage Centre, a network of spaces dedicated to telling the story of this World Heritage Site and a place where visitors can learn about the city’s deep connection with water.

Beyond the edge of the Rio lies the city, with its Renaissance extensions. We recommend taking Via Principe Amedeo. This will take you along the Percorso del Principe (Prince's Route), which runs through the city, connecting the Palazzo Ducale with the Palazzo Te – the public residence with the Gonzagas' private residence. Along the way, you will come across numerous historic palaces belonging to the noble families who were close to the Gonzaga family and who, through the beauty and luxury of their residences, helped to enhance the prestige of the entire city and ingratiated themselves with the Lords of Mantua.

At the end of this street, you will find places that are emblematic of Renaissance culture – not only in Mantua but throughout Italy – such as the Casa del Mantegna, with its cylindrical courtyard, the Temple of San Sebastiano, designed by Leon Battista Alberti, the Palazzo di San Sebastiano, which housed the famous Triumphs of Caesar painted by Andrea Mantegna, and Palazzo Te, a masterpiece of Giulio Romano's creative genius.

To get to know Sabbioneta, it is advisable to follow a route that allows you to appreciate the town’s harmonious design.

Sabbioneta, a planned city (urbs condita), was built between 1556 and 1591 at the behest of Vespasiano Gonzaga. Where possible, it is worth taking the time to walk along the outer line of the city walls, which mark the boundary between the town and the surrounding area and serve as a means of defence against external attacks. For centuries, Sabbioneta was considered a perfect example of a military stronghold: a Prince's City but also a Fortress City. The city walls surrounding Sabbioneta, which rise approximately 6–7 metres above the surrounding terrain, are shaped like a six-pointed star. Today, it remains almost entirely intact, surrounded by a moat that underscores its defensive purpose. 

Built by Vespasiano Gonzaga on the Roman model.

The street layout follows the ancient pattern of a Roman encampment, with perpendicular streets delineating 34 blocks. In the historic centre, one can find all the buildings typical of an aristocratic court: the Ducal Palace for the government of the city, the Palazzo Giardino with the Galleria degli Antichi for entertainment, and the Teatro all’Antica for court performances.

Vespasiano Gonzaga, who designed Sabbioneta’s urban layout, employed a number of stratagems, such as the zigzag pattern of the streets, to create an optical illusion that made the streets appear longer than they actually were. Sabbioneta thus appears as a complex labyrinth designed to disorient the enemy and make defensive action more effective, but above all to expand the space, making it seem larger than it actually is.

This space has become the headquarters of the Mantua and Sabbioneta Heritage Centre. Inside, a multimedia table narrates the urban development of Mantua and Sabbioneta, highlighting the complementary nature of the two towns – the former a layered city, the latter a new town.

You can listen to Vespasiano Gonzaga's life story told in the first person by his portrait, including his dreams and his vision for the foundation of Sabbioneta.

In addition to being a centre of political and administrative power, Piazza Ducale is the site of the market and, therefore, of commerce and trade. It is perfectly rectangular in shape and is overlooked by several important buildings in Sabbioneta. The Ducal Palace serves as the Duke's official residence and ceremonial palace. It was once connected by footbridges to the adjacent buildings, including Palazzo del Cavalleggero, which housed the auxiliary offices.  In two rooms of the palace, Vespasiano had the 'Libreria Grande' (Great Library) established, a library that has unfortunately been completely lost, which housed the works of classical authors and contemporary treatises on urban geometry and military engineering. 

In the vicinity of Palazzo Ducale

Behind the Palazzo Ducale stands the Church of the Blessed Crowned Virgin, the mausoleum of the Gonzaga family. Among the stately palazzi stands the Church of St Mary of the Assumption; in the immediate vicinity is the small Church of St Roch. At ground-floor level of the private buildings, there is a long portico with rustic white marble ashlar work, where the market was held.

Piazza d’Armi is the former castle square and was the centre of Vespasiano Gonzaga’s private life. The castle stood where the school is today and was a veritable stronghold, surrounded by a wide, deep moat and connected to the square by a drawbridge. Via a narrow, covered arched passageway, it was connected to the Palazzo del Giardino complex, which follows the style of a suburban villa but is nevertheless located within the city walls.