Casa Museo Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga

About the museum

The palace, in the historic centre of Mantua, has been home to the noble family of the Valenti Gonzaga marquises since the 16th century, and was renovated in Baroque forms in 1670 by the Flemish architect Frans Geffels. For a long time it remained a private residence, closed to the public, until a long restoration lasting 22 years brought to light the gallery, the chapel and the noble rooms.

The Casa Museo restoration project grew out of an idea of Alfonso Rocco Linardi, a lecturer in engineering at the University of Pavia, and of his wife Cristina Mortari. Among the rooms on the piano nobile (main floor) are the Sala del Trionfo del Tempo sulla Fama (Hall of the Triumph of Time over Fame), the Sala degli Stemmi (Hall of Coats of Arms), the chapel of Cardinal Silvio Valenti Gonzaga, the stuccoed Camerone del Figliuol Prodigo (Hall of the Prodigal Son) and the gallery where guests were received.

Today the palace is part of the Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane and of the Mantuan museum system. Alongside the museum, which according to the website is free to enter, it offers accommodation in rooms with stone walls and original frescoes, including the historic tavern where the Carbonari (members of an Italian secret revolutionary society) of Mantua gathered during the uprisings of 1821.

Highlights

• Sala del Trionfo del Tempo sulla Fama and Sala degli Stemmi
• Chapel of Cardinal Silvio Valenti Gonzaga
• Gallery and Camerone del Figliuol Prodigo with stuccoes
• Historic tavern with the secret lodge of the Carbonari
• Façade and interiors renovated in Baroque style in 1670

Permanent exhibition

• Casa Museo Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga – Noble rooms with stuccoes and frescoes, the gallery, the chapel and the historic tavern of the 17th-century palace.

Founded

1990

Operated by

Famiglia Linardi Mortari

Visitors per year

approx. 400

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

According to the website, admission to the museum inside the palace is free.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The palace also offers rooms and suites for overnight stays; the free Wi-Fi mentioned on the website is for accommodation guests.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The website offers weddings, parties, meetings and conferences in the historic rooms.