October 5, 2022

October 5, 2022

After the hustle and bustle of Venice, we decided to get off the tourist track. So we took a mid-morning train from Verona, Italy to the World Heritage city of Mantua (Mantova in Italian), forty-five minutes south.

From the train station we walked south. We passed a lady walking her spotted Dalmatian dog. Our first. We thought we would have seen at least one on our travels along the Dalmation Coast of Croatia.

Our first stop is at Palazzo Te. When I told Aimee that it was built by the local Duke Federico Gonzaga in the 16th century for his mistress Isabella, her interest level increased. She eagerly read the storyboards hoping to learn more. Humorously only one mentioned her and just in passing. The palace was built and decorated for him by Giulio Romano, a student of Raphael. The rooms are vividly painted with romantic scenes, perfect for a pleasure palace. In the Room of Amor and Psyche, Aimee noticed one scene was shockingly graphic.

Our favorite spot was the Room of the Giants. This space has rounded corners painted in cartoonish-size and color so it feels like an immersive artwork. With all the ceilings we have had to stare up at, we are getting sore necks.

We then explored the grounds of the Palace. The most interesting for us was the garden truck that was driving around and watering the bushes with a mechanical hose.

From Palazzo Te, we walked from this suburban tryst palace into the historic center along the Prince’s Path, the route the playboy Duke would have ridden between wife and girlfriend. Federico’s mother, Isabella d'Este, was very ambitious. She bought his Duke title from the Holy Roman Emperor. And then she insisted he marry for political advantage. But Federico refused to give up his lover Isabella.

In Piazza Erbe, we made a brief stop at the Rotunda of St Lawrence. This medieval church was built circa 1100 AD and is completely round. Next door is an old clock tower.

Farther along we reach Piazza Sordello where we buy tickets to tour Palazzo Ducale, the home of the Gonzaga family. They ruled the city for three centuries. Mantua survived amongst very powerful neighbors by maintaining a strong army that they rented out as mercenaries. Since the Italian city-states were always at war, they made good money. One of the Gonzagas was canonized a saint. The Jesuit Gonzaga University in Washington State is named for him.

Our tour started with the original brick Castle of St George. It was hard to get excited after spending so much time touring Venice. The Gonzagas were rich but not uber-wealthy like the Venetians. Instead of real marble, the walls were faux-painted to look like it. We were not that impressed with the famous Wedding Chamber, painted in 1470 by Mantegna. It does however have a cool ‘oculus’ ceiling. Probably the first artist to paint the illusion of an open ceiling with cherubs looking down.

Our tour then continues in the New Court of the Ducale Palace. These rooms are more palatial but also a century newer. One room called the Room of Troy not only has brightly-colored frescoes on this mythological war but several cool bas-relief Roman Sarcophagi. A nearby very long Exhbition hallway is lined with several dozen extraordinary Roman busts. This art is just a tiny fraction of the collection that the Gonzaga family once owned. Isabella d’Este was not only ambitious and capable but a renowned early patron of Renaissance artists. Her collection is now spread out over Europe.

The tour continued in the Old Court. There was a Hall of Mirrors used for dancing, and another set of small bedrooms covered in tapestries sewn from Raphael drawings. There were more decorated rooms with paintings and statuary. It was all very nice but a little overwhelming as the rooms kept coming. This palace has over 500 rooms and is the sixth largest in Europe. It would be art overload even if we hadn’t just come from Venice. In addition, one of the earliest Operas, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was first performed here in 1607 during Carnival.

After running through the palace, I peeked inside the next-door Duomo (Cathedral of St Peter). The exterior and interior is uninteresting Neoclassical.

Exhausted, we had a nice leisurely Italian late lunch of the local specialty, Tortellini stuffed with Pumpkin and cooked in a sage and butter sauce. It was very tasty along with a salad and carafe of local wine.

On the walk back to the train station we walked through the Basilica of Sant’Andrea. This 15th century church has a large dome and barrel naves. Every surface is decorated inside Renaissance-style. Very cool.

We almost get in trouble taking the train back to Verona. Our train left from platform 1 TR. We waited at track 1. When another train pulled into that spot we suspected something was wrong. We raced to the ticket agent who pointed us to the right spot and we had to run to catch our train. Apparently TR means Tronco and refers to a truncated or stub or dead-end track that doesn't quite reach the station. It is down the line and to the right of the real Track 1. And I thought we were veteran train riders!