Palazzo Ducale is not a building but a city within the city: courtyards, hanging gardens, galleries and hundreds of rooms built and rebuilt by the Gonzaga over almost four centuries. Inside are some of the most important works of the Italian Renaissance, starting with Andrea Mantegna’s Camera degli Sposi (Bridal Chamber).
This guide follows the order of a typical visit, with the highlights not to miss and tips for planning. The palace is in Piazza Sordello, about a quarter of an hour’s walk from Mantova Locker and the station.
At a glance: 2 h 30 min – 3 h · approx. 16 min walk from the luggage storage · art and history
The stops
1. Piazza Sordello and Corte Vecchia
The entrance is on the great medieval square. Corte Vecchia (the Old Court) is the oldest part of the complex, with the Palazzo del Capitano and the Magna Domus of the Bonacolsi, the family that ruled Mantua before the Gonzaga.
2. The Pisanello Hall
A chivalric cycle painted by Pisanello around the middle of the 15th century, with tournaments and Knights of the Round Table. It lay hidden under layers of plaster and was only rediscovered in the late 1960s: in places you can still see the sinopie, the preparatory drawings.
3. The Tapestry Apartment
The tapestries of the Acts of the Apostles, woven in Brussels from Raphael’s cartoons for the Sistine Chapel: this set was bought ready-woven by Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga, who had his own coat of arms added.
4. Castello di San Giorgio
The square fortress with four corner towers and a moat, built between the late 14th and early 15th centuries to defend the city on the lake side. After Mantegna’s arrival it became a Gonzaga residence.
5. Camera degli Sposi
Mantegna painted it between 1465 and 1474 for Ludovico II Gonzaga and Barbara of Brandenburg. On the walls, the whole court, with children, courtiers, dogs and the family horse; on the ceiling, the oculus, a painted sky with ladies and putti leaning over the edge – the first great sotto in su (seen-from-below) illusion in Italian painting. Entry is in groups with limited viewing time, to protect the paintings.
6. The Troy Apartment
Rooms decorated by Giulio Romano and his workshop for Federico II Gonzaga in the 1530s, with episodes from the Trojan War. In another wing, in the Appartamento Grande di Castello, the Hall of Manto tells the legend of the prophetess who is said to have given the city its name.
7. Hall of Mirrors, Hall of Rivers and the hanging gardens
The most theatrical part of the palace, remodelled between the 16th and 18th centuries: mirrors and stuccoes, personifications of Mantua’s rivers and the Giardino Pensile (Hanging Garden), an Italian-style garden built on the main floor.
8. Isabella d’Este’s Studiolo and Grotta
The private rooms of the most cultivated marchioness of the Renaissance, a collector and patron of the arts. The paintings that once decorated them are now in the Louvre, but the ceilings and inlaid woodwork remain: enough to imagine her world.
Visit Mantua luggage-free
Leave your suitcases, backpacks and bags at Mantova Locker and travel light: we are at Via Solferino e San Martino 4, just a short walk from the railway station, open 24 hours a day. Find out how it works, our prices and where to find us.
Practical tips
- Book online: the Camera degli Sposi has limited places and at weekends time slots sell out.
- Palazzo Ducale is a state museum: it is usually closed on Mondays and takes part in the Ministry of Culture’s free Sundays. Always check opening times on the official website.
- The route may vary because of restoration work or exhibitions: some rooms may be temporarily closed.
- Large backpacks and trolley cases are not allowed in the rooms: leave them at Mantova Locker and arrive travelling light.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to visit Palazzo Ducale in Mantua?
Allow at least two and a half hours, three if you also want to take your time over the gardens and Isabella d’Este’s apartments.
Is the Camera degli Sposi included in the same ticket?
Yes, the Camera degli Sposi is part of the Palazzo Ducale route, but access is limited: it’s best to book a time slot.
Who painted the Camera degli Sposi?
Andrea Mantegna, between 1465 and 1474, for Marquis Ludovico II Gonzaga.
How far is Palazzo Ducale from Mantua station?
About 16 minutes on foot, via Corso Umberto I and the piazzas of the centre.
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