GONZAGA SAGA

After the murder of Tybalt in an act of revenge for the death of his dear friend Mercutio, Shakespeare’s Romeo is banished from Verona and forced to escape to Mantua. There is no reasonable explanation for his sorrow and despair, as being exiled here, in this most enchanting of refuges, would be a treat and a stroke of luck for anyone.

Tiny but spectacular, Mantua is replete with splendid churches, picture-postcard squares and elegant palazzi. The city itself is living evidence of one of the brightest epochs in Italy’s history. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, Mantua was also rightfully awarded the honour of the Italian Capital of Culture in 2016 and in 2017 gained the delectable title of European Capital of Gastronomy. The city’s significant contribution to the world of art, architecture, literature, music and cuisine is indisputable, as you will have the chance to discover firsthand on this full-day excursion from Bologna.

You will meet your private driver at your accommodation and begin your day with a relaxing ride across the Po Valley to Mantua. Here your guide will be waiting ready to lead you on a fascinating journey back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, when the city blossomed under the rule of the powerful Gonzaga family, becoming one of northern Italy’s main artistic and cultural hubs. For almost four centuries, from 1328 to 1707, the Gonzagas governed Mantua, calling upon the most talented artists of their times to give vent to the dynasty’s ambitions and prestige.

Follow your guide through an impressive succession of halls, corridors and courtyards that make up the Ducal Palace, once the Gonzagas’ official residence. The imposing 34,000 square metre complex, spreading from Piazza Sordello to the shores of the lake, was built between the 13th and 18th centuries. Sadly, today, the original furnishings and art pieces lovingly assembled by the Gonzagas over the years are no longer here. Part of their priceless art collection, one of the richest of the times, was sold to the king of England in 1628 and the rest of their belongings was either sacked in 1630 or confiscated by Napoleon. Extraordinary fragments of a chivalric cycle painted in the 14th century by Pisanello still survive as well as ancient Roman marble busts and sarcophagi and a 1605 altarpiece by Rubens. But the unrivalled masterpiece is the Camera Picta, graced by Andrea Mantegna’s extraordinary wall and ceiling paintings, celebrating the feats of the Gonzaga family. The work, begun in 1465 and completed nine years later, constitutes a rare and precious instance of the master’s triumphant knowledge of perspective, his expert handling of visual illusion and stunning virtuosity as a painter of portraits.

After some free time for lunch explore another of Mantua’s gems. Built between 1525 and 1535 by Giulio Romano as a suburban pleasure palace for Federico II Gonzaga, Palazzo Te is a triumph of Mannerist architecture and art. Here Federico received prominent guests, entertained the court with sumptuous banquets and spent time with his mistress, Isabella Boschetti, the one and only love of his life. The magnificent decoration project celebrates with unparalleled inventiveness the owner’s ardent passions, public virtues and political ambitions. Everywhere painted mythological scenes, carvings and stuccoes conceal allusions to Federico’s secrets, aspirations and private life. The highlight of Palazzo Te is the Room of the Giants, entirely covered with stunning paintings representing the mythological Fall of the Giants as recounted by Roman poet Ovid in the Metamorphoses. The scene depicts Zeus as he unleashes the fury of the elements and strikes with lightning the arrogant Giants, guilty of rebelling against the gods and attempting to take possession of Mount Olympus – an allegory of the victory of Emperor Charles V over the noble families who tried to overthrow him. Such is the power of the scene that onlookers feel buffeted by the turbulent force of the whirlwind, blown off their feet by the cataclysmic storm and deafened by the crash of collapsing columns and rocks.

After the tour rejoin your driver and return to your hotel in Bologna.