Mantua: Palazzo del Te

Visited at the end of a wonderful day on Mantua, the extraordinary Palazzo del Te deserves a post to itself. It was built between 1525 and 1535 as a suburban residence, to the south of his main base, the Palzzzo Ducale, for Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua.

The Palazzo is basically a hollow square. The main entrance was clearly in the middle of the range on the left, but nowadays visitors enter via a small doorway in the middle of the right hand range. The view through that doorway is lovely: you can see an archway on the opposite side (in fact part of a portico, and something else beyond it.

The facade is classical and just below the roof line you can even see the triglyphs (three vertical lines) and metopes (relief sculpture) of the kind you see on Greek temples.

The internal organisation is surprisingly simple: rooms the width of the building lead in to each other. First we see the Chamber of Ovid (or of the Metamorphoses), with a magnificent coffered ceiling.

Next there is the Chamber of the Sun and the Moon, with an entertaining panel in the centre of another elaborate ceiling (look closely at the charioteer on the right).

Next is the Loggia of the Muses, here seen from outside.

This is followed by a vast room, the Hall of the Horses, which was created in 1526-28.

Next up is the Chamber of Cupid and Psyche, said to be the most sumptuous in the whole palace.

At this point we are half way round the square, opposite where we came in. From this loggia the area behind the main building becomes fully visible. It is large space, laid mainly to grass, with at the end a lovely curving colonnade.

This is the view looking back to the Palace. 

 Over in one corner is a secret garden with a grotto.

Back inside the building the next room is the Chamber of the Stuccoes has a strongly Roman theme.

The next room is the last - the remaining ones were being refurbished for an exhibition - it was the Chamber of the Giants. It was the one room that we just hated: the giants on the ceiling were just about OK, but all the walls were painted with inflated versions of similar images. It called to mind Disney and felt totally out of place in this classical oasis. I couldn't bear to take a picture.

 Rating: five stars.