Justice Palace

Now home to the Court of Mantua, this grand building on Via Poma was built by Giovanni Battista Guerrieri between 1599 and 1603. It was then sold to a branch of the Gonzaga dynasty, changed hands once more and eventually came to be the property of the City of Mantua in the 19th century. The architect would seem to be Antonio Maria Viani, who at that time was the Prefect of Works for the Gonzagas. The large external façade features giant, grotesque figures. Incorporated into false pillars, they are men and women who appear to be supporting the uppermost part of the building with their shoulders.