MACA – Mantova Collezioni Antiche

About the museum

Palazzo San Sebastiano was built by Francesco II Gonzaga between 1506 and 1512 as a personal residence, seat of government and representation, outside the great Palazzo Ducale complex. It stands beside the city’s southern walls, near Porta Pusterla, and among its rooms the great hall of the piano nobile (main floor) stands out, designed for Andrea Mantegna’s Triumphs of Caesar, now at Hampton Court.

After restoration the palace became a museum in 2004 and for years housed the Museo della Città, devoted to the civic collections. In 2023 the display was completely renewed and the museum took the name MACA – Mantova Collezioni Antiche.

The route is organised around four collectors from Mantua who helped form the city’s cultural heritage: Francesco II Gonzaga, with his humanist culture, and Vespasiano Gonzaga, with his collection of classical antiquities; Giuseppe Acerbi, with Egyptian, Islamic and ethnographic materials; and Ugo Sissa, with the Mesopotamian collection.

The MACA ticket is also valid for Palazzo Te and the Tempio Leon Battista Alberti, managed by the civic museums of Mantua.

Highlights

• Gonzaga palace of Francesco II with frescoed rooms
• Seventeenth-century copy of Mantegna’s Triumphs of Caesar
• Collection of antiquities of Vespasiano Gonzaga
• Egyptian and Islamic collection of Giuseppe Acerbi
• Mesopotamian collection of Ugo Sissa

Permanent exhibitions

• Francesco II e il Palazzo – The frescoed rooms on the ground floor, with the series of Mantegna’s Triumphs of Caesar and the portraits and sculptures linked to Marquis Francesco II Gonzaga.
• Collezione Vespasiano Gonzaga – The collection of classical antiquities of Duke Vespasiano Gonzaga, linked to Mantua, Sabbioneta and other Gonzaga residences.
• Collezioni Giuseppe Acerbi e Ugo Sissa – Egyptian, Islamic and ethnographic materials collected by Giuseppe Acerbi and Mesopotamian finds from the collection of Ugo Sissa.

Operated by

Comune di Mantova – Musei civici

Visitors per year

approx. 57,752

Admission & discounts

The MACA ticket is also valid for Palazzo Te and the Tempio Leon Battista Alberti and is valid for three consecutive months from first use (one entry per site). Journalists, ICOM card holders, police on duty and licensed guides also enter free. For schools: free under 12, €7 over 12, plus a €0.50 advance sales fee.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum states that it is accessible to everyone and that it has trained its staff; a document downloadable from the website describes the access route.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

By car on the A22 motorway, exit Mantova Nord or Mantova Sud, following the signs for the centre.

Amenities & dining

Dogs&Museum: small dogs enter only in a carrier; alternatively a dog-sitting service is available.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit