Torso of Franscesco II Gonzaga

Alongside others that portray Virgil and Battista Spagnoli, this bust is the work of an anonymous local sculptor who produced the whole set at the behest of the doctor and scholar Battista Fiera (1465-1538), in honour of the Marquis and the two great Mantuan poets. The three sculptures adorned an arch that stood between Casa del Fiera and the Monastery of San Francesco in Mantua. The busts were placed there in 1514 when Francesco decreed that they were to be protected and carefully conserved because they were considered a fine adornment for the whole city. They were removed in 1852 when the arch was knocked down.
The appearance of the Marquis Francesco, who proudly displays a beard and armour, is quite familiar. Bearing a laurel branch in its beak, an eagle stands on his cuirass. The piece is of undisputed quality.