museo di palazzo ducale

This is the classic palace in the heart of the city. It is splendidly decorated, even after Napoleon did his usual thing. The ceilings are superb, the architecture and gardens both amazing. Hidden gems abound, such as a coin collection, an Egyptian sarcophagus, etc.

This visift is a MUST : the structure is already incredible, with its medieval building in bricks and terracotta, but inside it hides real treasures. Decorated rooms (frescoes and tapestries), paintings, statues...You can learn a lot about the Dukes of Mantova, the Gonzaga, and the main artists of the period in this area.Only 43 rooms (on over 500) can be visited, also due to the heartquake that hit Mantova in 2012 : the famous painted bedroom of Mantegna is closed for works at present, like San Giorgio's castle.Please take your time to visit it, because the explanatory panels are really well made, in italian and english. Kids may get bored though... Audio-guides are also available in several languages. You can leave your bags in a key closed box, at the entry.You can take pictures with no flash.No restaurants / bar inside.In my opinion, if you are really passionate of art, visit it in several times : it takes a lot of energy to see it all in one time (with no break and no eating !).You can ask for the museums card : 5 or 8 entries to several museums in Mantova with real interesting reduction.

Palazzo Ducale is a building imposing itself on the town. It is huge and having remarkable architectural features. The rooms are rich in ornamentation and decoration and contain a number of works of art. There were two negative isuues during my visit. I visited the city on o dark cloudy afternoon; the rooms of the museum were very dimly illuminated so it was not easy to perceive the colours and shapes easily. Mantegna rooms were closed temporarily; it was announced before purchasing the ticket; but it is a pity for a one-time traveller like me.

Easily the equal of the Palazzo Vecchio in Firenze, but without the crowds. It will take you the better part of a full day to do this place justice. We spent 5 hours going through it, and still felt like we didn't give everything the attention it deserves. Besides the artwork, each room is a treasure in itself. The Castello San Giorgio section was still closed when we toured, damage from the earthquake still being repaired. Can't wait to visit again next year. Go early in the day, take a break for lunch at one of the nearby cafes in the square to recharge, and go back in for the 2nd half of your visit.

In its heyday, Mantua's Palazzo Ducale, home to the reigning Gonzaga family, was the largest palace in Europe, housing over a thousand people within its 34,000 square meters. When the Hapsburgs pillaged the place, it took eight carriages to haul away the loot. What's left is still huge -- and hugely impressive. Damage sustained from a recent earthquake has been repaired, and once-closed rooms have been reopened. The palace's Castello San Giorgio houses its must-see attraction, Mantegna's stunningly lifelike portrait of the Gonzaga family in all their domestic splendor. The Gonzagas liked their horses and dogs as much as they did themselves, and equine and canine portraiture becomes something of a leif-motif as one wanders the seemingly infinite number of rooms. Especially worth lingering in are the Sala dei Arcieri, with its frieze of prized horses; the gleefully over-the-top Sala die Fiume, an enclosed loggia dominated by a pair of stucco-and-mosaic fountains; and the Stanzi deli Arazzi, with its magnificent Flemish tapestries. It's all quite spectacular and quite exhausting. Afterward, head straight for some chocolate gelato to restore your flagging energy.

This museum is the top attraction in Mantua and has recently been restored after a major earthquake some years ago. It is a vast palazzo and the visit can be quite overwhelming as one goes from room to room.

Immense palace. The walking tour of 40 rooms with audio guide (recommended) is about 2 hours. Amazing. But it means you have missed about 460 other rooms! Living in a grand style for hundreds of years in the area that the Gonzagas ruled. Favorite place we visited in Mantua. Stop by the Just Cafe on the square for a drink afterwards and say hi to bearded waiter Fabio. A great guy and a great tour guide for what to see and where to eat in Mantua!

A huge building of 35000 m2 & 500 rooms, was home to Gonzaga family between the years 1328-1707.After years of neglection it was renovated & is now a museum. However the main attraction are the amazing rooms with mosaic floors, painted walls & magnificent ceilings.One can only try to imagine how those rooms were at their prime before being conquered & looted by the Habsburgs.Before visiting be sure to check whether the nicest & most important rooms aren't closed due to repairs.For those over 65- please take under consideration that as of 1.7.14 there is NO FREE entrance to museums, palaces etc.(all over Italy- I was told). At the best you get a small reduction.

Museum of Palazzo Ducale, perhaps one of the most expensive and time-consuming attractions of the city, with a ticket fee of about € 10 per person, but apparently there is a motivation, in this huge building houses numerous works of art Mantegna and not only that, paintings and frescoes. In short, a pleasant immersion in the art of the Italian Renaissance. It's worth spending two hours of your time to visit this.

Not to be missed. A beautiful restoration by people who care about the history of this wonderful city.

This is an absolute must see. The palace is huge in size. Amazing works of art paint on walls and ceilings. Is really a series of palaces which have been joined together over the centuries. Over 500 rooms.

we did this last during our visit and are so pleased that we concentrated on the Palazzo Te - this was OK and reasonable at E6.50 : no discounts available to seniors

Palazzo Ducale is under renovation/restoration. Like many of the historic buildings in Mantova, it was neglected for a long a time and many of the details and frescos decayed. There are rooms that have been beautifully restored and many of the other rooms are being used to showcase historical and modern art. Its well worth a trip. Be sure to get the tourist card - you'll save money on other attractions and receive discounts at several restaurants.

The museum itself is not that big actually, But they make you a lot of detours in oder to show you more aspects of the exhibition as possible. Quite tiring in the end. While my favorite parts are the last few showrooms, from 25

So lucky to get a viewing of "camera Degli Sposi".......a palace room with fresco almost fully in tact. Unforgettable experienceThe artifact and history contained within this Palazzo are priceless and breath taking