Mantova retains the fascination that inspired Virgil's poetry, its austere medieval architecture,
the grandiosity of the Gonzaga monuments and the majestic elegance of Renaissance art.
The grandiose Palazzo del Podesta' and the Palazzo della Ragione were built during the period of local rule. With the Gonzaga family, who excelled as patrons of artists and authors, Mantova was enriched with the fascinating beauty of Piazza Sordello, the San Pietro Cathedral, the Palazzo Ducale and the Palazzo Te. And again, the construction of San Giorgio Castle and Basilica of Sant’Andrea designed by L.B. Alberti, clearly of the Renaissance.
It was the Gonzagas who invited artists and authors such as Pisanello, Vittorino da Feltre, Mantegna, Correggio, Leon Battista Alberti, Luca Fancelli, Giulio Romano, Bertani, Viani, Rubens and Fetti to their court. The period of Austrian domination was also characterised by a great deal of building work, reaching its finest expression in the Academic Palace which includes the splendid Bibiena Theatre, the location of one of the first performances by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
All this can be put down to the illuminated wisdom of the Empress Maria Teresa who loved Mantova and wanted it to be cultured, musically profound and dedicated to science.
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