Perspective of the east faced reflected in the Fisheries

The square cour d'honneur was designed by Giulio Romano. To the west and east are two imposing gates, while to the south and north there should have been a loggia – though only on one side the loggia was realized, called Loggia delle Muse. A third Loggia looks out towards the garden from the east gate, enclosed by an exedra, perhaps added by Nicolò Sebregondi (Sondrio 1585, Mantova 1652) in 1651. The palace is surrounded by a double perimeter, an internal one, which coincides with the cour d'honneur, and a second one that is the garden. The two squares are separated by two large rectangular pools, which evoke the two lakes on the outskirts of the city: in the Sixteenth century these artificial stretches of water separated the palace from the mainland making this an island.