Te Palace

Once upon a time it was an island, suspended on the banks of Mantua's fourth lake. It was here that from 1524 onwards, Giulio Romano helped to achieve the dream of his patron and friend, Duke Federico Gonzaga: to build a villa away from the city that would serve as a place of meditation and play host to festivities, recreation and diplomatic meetings. This Palazzo is Romano's masterpiece, not just for its architectural design, but also for the frescoes - foremost examples of early Mannerism - that adorn many of the rooms.The favourite pupil of Raphael, Romano's vision was to embellish the walls with figures from classical mythology and roman history or, in a more modern twist, paintings showing the magnificent qualities of the Gonzaga family's horses. The infinite variation of the motifs that characterises both the architecture and the paintings produces unique artistic riches, ranging from elements of absolute harmony to apparent disorder, such as the banquet of Cupid and Psyche or the tumultuous fall of the Giants trying in vain to reach the heavens.