Citta
Indirizzo
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 8,30 - 19,00 (last entrance at 18,20).
Closed on Mondays.
Closed on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.
Orario
Telefono
Telefono
SitoWeb
Tickets: 6,50 euros full price. Reduced 3,25 euros for the people between 18 and 25 years of age. Free for citizens of the European Union under 18.
Free for European university students of Art and Architecture faculties, school groups, journalists.
The ticket price may change according to temporary art exhibitions.
Reservations: phone 0039 (0)41 2411897.
online booking http://www.ducalemantova.org/sito/ing_museo.html
Visit to the Camera Picta limited to 1200 visitors a day.
School groups and groups in general (max. 30-32 people) :
it is necessary to make a reservation.
For groups without reservation the entrance will be possible depending on places available daily.
Cost for the reservation: groups 20,00 euros; school groups 10,00 euros; individuals 1,00 euro.
IMPORTANT NOTICE the Camera degli Sposi (Bridal Chamber) has been temporarily reopened to the public from 19th July to 5th October 2014. Then the S. Giorgio Castle will be closed again to allow the completion of maintenance works.
SPECIFICATION FOR FRIDAY EVENING During special openings on Friday evenings from 20 to 22.00, visitors canNOT visit Camera degli Sposi; But it will be possible to visit Corte Vecchia areas like Sala degli Specchi, Galleria dei Fauni o della Pergola, Giardino pensile and appartamento dell`imperatrice.
The Palazzo Ducale – the Ducal Palace – was Gonzaga family's residence from 1328 to 1707; today it is a museum. Actually, it is a huge group of buildings giving onto Piazza Sordello – the most ancient are Palazzo del Capitano and Magna Domus -, including 15 gardens and courtyards, a castle, a palatine basilica dedicated to St. Barbara, a theatre, the Domus Nova, a great museum, the government building and the sumptuous prince's apartments. Maybe it is not correct to call it a palace; with its 500 rooms, it was more as a small city inside the ducal capital city.
Several wonderful frescoes deck the palace: Pisanello (1432-1438) depicted episodes of King Arthur's legend, Andrea Mantegna (1465-1474) frescoed the famous "Camera Picta" in San Giorgio castle, while Giulio Romano frescoed Appartamento di Troia – id est the Apartment of Troy.
Still, how not to mention the Galleria della Mostra – id est the exhibit arcade -, where the majority of the incomparable “Celeste Galeria” paintings were; or duke Vincenzo's apartment, which hosted some very precious wooden ceilings from Palazzo di San Sebastiano, or the elegant small study of marquise Isabella; or the rooms newly decorated in XVIII century, such as Galleria degli Specchi, Sala dei Fiumi, Stanze degli Arazzi – whose walls were covered with 9 XVI century Flemish tapestries based on cartoons by Raphael.
But you may also see important canvases by Rubens, Fetti, Viani, Bazzani and other Mantuan painters, Roman statues – some of which come from Sabbioneta -, frescoes, and several terracotta artefacts from ancient Mantua buildings.