Prominent houses and palaces of the nobility

This magnificent house, situated on the corner between Piazza Mantegna and Piazza Erbe, onto which it faces out, was built in 1455 at the behest of Concorezzo family from Brianza, the most prominent figures of which were the father Bertone and his son Giovanni Boniforte. After they moved to the city, these wool merchants became considerably wealthy. Their good relations with the Court of the Gonzaga and the Marquis Ludovico in particular inspired them to construct this residence, which is still a prominent landmark of the historic centre, at that time the subject of substantial urban redevelopment. The new buildings stood alongside more simple houses, which were often owned my merchant families and display clear traces of decorative elements inspired by the architectural style of Fancelli. So in addition to the magnificence of the Court and the numerous religious buildings, there are also accounts of the private splendour of old family dynasties.

The House of the Blessed Andreasi stands at number 9 on Via Frattini alongside Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga in the old Cervo district. A 15th century building, it became the home of the prestigious Andreasi family around 1470. In 1780 ownership passed by inheritance to the Counts of Magnaguti. When Alessandro Magnaguti died, the house was bequeathed to the Dominican Province of Bologna. It has since become a museum and is now run with great care by the Association for Dominican Monuments of Mantua. Born in Carbornarola, Osanna Andreasi (1449-1505) was a Dominican tertiary who was beatified in 1694, after the cult had been granted in 1515. She was an important figure for two reasons. Firstly: her faith, good deeds and the stigmata that she received are testament to her earthly and spiritual progress. Secondly, her affinity with the house of Gonzaga, of which she was in fact a distant relative, and with the Marquis Francesco and his wife Isabelle d'Este in particular, made her a prominent religious figure for the dynasty.

Located in one of the city's smaller streets, once known as the Croce Bianca (White Cross), this house illustrates how widespread the influence of Fancelli architecture was, given the use of brick to construct façade elements. While the work may be coarser than other residences of the nobility, the top floor of the block displays a row of fluted columns bearing faux capitals and a floral design, thereby softening the overall appearance. It is also worth mentioning that between the 15th and 16th centuries, this building served as a local government office, which also housed the city's prisons. It would appear that it was here that Mario Equicola (1470-1525), the humanist, writer and secretary to Isabella d'Este, performed his duties.

One of the most majestic palaces in the city, this residence was home to the Counts of Arrivabene, among the most illustrious and longstanding families of Mantua, whose lineage stretches as far back as the brothers Giovanni and Giovan Pietro in the 15th century and as recently as Giovanni the patriot in the 19th century. It is located between the two perpendicular streets at 14 via Arrivabene and 18 via Fratelli Bandiera. When it was at its largest, however, it incorporated many other buildings on both roads, which now feature different architectural styles and have a different purpose. Restored in the first decade of this century, it is fundamentally Tuscan in its appearance, with the influence of Fancelli quite evident. Its most characteristic feature is the angular tower, with splendid windows that, together with the string-courses and the balcony, punctuate the vast reddish surface.

This beautiful Fancellian house, belonging to the Valenti Gonzaga family from 1690 onwards, displays the Renaissance decorative elements that are so typical of the Tuscan master. Uniquely for Mantua, however, it also boasts five statues of the Virgin, the Annunciation and the three saints in five niches set between faux semi-columns. The superior quality of these columns, the originals for which can be found in the City Museum, prompted Paccagnini to conclude that Andrea Mantegna had partaken in their construction.

The history of this impressive façade at number 27 on Via Pomponazzo is a particularly intriguing one. It can be traced back to the time when the Customs House and other public buildings were transferred to the former Carmelite Monastery, built in the 15th century. This transformation was completed thanks to the Veronese architect Paolo Pozzo (1741-1803), who took up residence in Mantua in 1771 and worked on numerous renovations to the city's architectural heritage. But he wanted to embellish his work further, bringing the old marble doorway from the old site in Piazza Broletto (most probably a 1538 work by Giulio Romano), to the new Customs House as a decorative element. The portal is Ionic, with Corinthian bases on the half-columns and images of porters carved into the pendentives of the arch. What is striking, however, in the whole façade, is the neo-classical take on the grandeur of Giulio Romano, made motionless by a scenic desire that no longer corresponded to the constant quest for motion.

The house that Giulio Romano chose as his residence is located at 18, via Carlo Poma. He reconstructed it from existing buildings, creating a façade which, although reshaped in the 19th century, stands as the ultimate legacy of his genius. The complexity of the design can be seen even in the apparent rigour of the architect's imagination. A cornerstone of the house is the ashlar-work, which covers the entire surface and which, on the first floor, is punctuated by niche windows separated by arches. Of particular interest is the tympanum on the entrance door, which is created from the interrupted cornice.

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.

Located at number 54 of the present-day Via Bertani, this building was an integral part of the Ghetto of Mantua, which was home to the city's flourishing Jewish community. The residence is undeniably very old, having been built for the first time in the 15th century and having taken on its current appearance in the second half of the 17th century.

Featuring a number of different elements, the façade has been attributed to the Antwerp-born Flemish architect Frans Geffels (1625-1694). From 1663 onwards Geffels was the Prefect of the Works for the Gonzagas. He designed a number of buildings in the city, of which this house, which was most probably completed around 1680, may have been one. It is believed that the 17th-century restoration was commissioned by some wealthy Jewish families. The variety of alternating architectural elements make this façade particularly striking. For instance, atop the marble doorway is a fine boat, with a distinctive iron railing.

With its majestic façade, Palazzo Sordi stands at 23 Via Pomponazzo. The bright colours, illuminated by an excellent restoration, bring out the size of the building - the product of the genius of the Flemish architect Frans Geffels (1625-1694). The façade is dominated by an additional, central floor, which corresponds to the reception room. The ashlar-work is alternated with smooth surfaces, while the doorway is adjoined to a marble balcony. Above this balcony, on the inside of a tympanum enriched by refined faux capitals, there is a tondo displaying a beautiful Madonna and Child, the hand of the stucco worker of the Val d'Intelvi, Gian Battista Barberini.

Palazzo Valenti and its majestic façade stands at number 7 on Via Frattini. The commissioning family were the Valenti Gonzagas, who lived here from the 16th century. It was Odoardo who entrusted the baroque renovation to the architect Frans Geffels. The 16th century, diamond-tipped marble plinth was retained on the façade, but new and large baroque windows - both square and rectangular - were added, giving this noble residence its distinctive appearance and contrasting with the colour of the brick through the whiteness of the marble.

This monumental building, which makes up all of one side of the piazza of the same name, dates back to the restoration of a 16th-century mansion owned by the Alberigi family, which was later purchased by the Canossas in 1659. They were a family of Veronese descent and very obliquely related to the famous medieval dynasty that ruled Mantua. In the 17th century, they obtained the domain of Calliano nel Monferrato and the title of Marquis from the Gonzagas. The new appearance of the building, which remains the same today, can be dated back to 1675, although the entrance door, featuring dogs - the emblem of the family - carved in marble, is from the 18th century. But the 16th century origins of the building are supported by the fact that the current ashlar-work, which characterises the two large façades, drew on inspiration from the underlying ashlar of Romano influence. The design of the windows can also be attributed to the age of architectural mannierism. The building as a whole therefore takes on the appearance of a singular union of Mannerist styles that developed during the Baroque period.