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Sabbioneta
Sabbioneta
Sabbioneta in the Po valley near Mantua (Mantova) is a sleepy little town that I never tire of visiting. It was conceived as a “ideal” city by a Renaissance warlord called Vespasiano Gonzaga in the sixteenth century.
The figure of Vespasiano Gonzaga is a typical complicated story of intrigue, war and brutal murder, together with a love of art typical of the nobility in Renaissance Italy.
In 1540 whilst still a child, Vespasiano Gonzaga inherited a small state centered around Sabbioneta. At the age of twenty five Vespasiano decided to turn Sabbioneta into the fortified city that we can see largely intact today.
The Duke administered his little state from “Palazzo Ducale” situated on the main square, with its life-size wooden sculptures of the Duke and his relations.
The most spectacular building in Sabbioneta is the “Galleria degli Antichi” a long corridor ninety six meters long, built to house the Dukes collection of antiquities.
The Theatre in this little town was the first modern theater in Italy to be constructed without making use of a previous Roman construction.
The splendor of his city lasted just the span of his lifetime. The city fell into a long decay after his death in 1591.
The figure of Vespasiano Gonzaga is a typical complicated story of intrigue, war and brutal murder, together with a love of art typical of the nobility in Renaissance Italy.
In 1540 whilst still a child, Vespasiano Gonzaga inherited a small state centered around Sabbioneta. At the age of twenty five Vespasiano decided to turn Sabbioneta into the fortified city that we can see largely intact today.
The Duke administered his little state from “Palazzo Ducale” situated on the main square, with its life-size wooden sculptures of the Duke and his relations.
The most spectacular building in Sabbioneta is the “Galleria degli Antichi” a long corridor ninety six meters long, built to house the Dukes collection of antiquities.
The Theatre in this little town was the first modern theater in Italy to be constructed without making use of a previous Roman construction.
The splendor of his city lasted just the span of his lifetime. The city fell into a long decay after his death in 1591.
The Walls
The construction of the massive walls around the city started in 1554. They took twelve years to complete and take the form of a hexagon with bastions on each corner. They are still mostly intact.
The walls rise eight meters above a moat. On the inside they are five meters high. Two gates give access to the city.
The construction of the massive walls around the city started in 1554. They took twelve years to complete and take the form of a hexagon with bastions on each corner. They are still mostly intact.
The walls rise eight meters above a moat. On the inside they are five meters high. Two gates give access to the city.
