The Ducal Palace, court of the Gonzaga

Not a palace: a city within the city. Over 35,000 square metres between Piazza Sordello and the lakes, where for almost four centuries the Gonzaga family built, extended and decorated the seat of their power.

Mantegna's Bridal Chamber

The heart of the visit lies inside the Castle of San Giorgio: the Camera degli Sposi (Bridal Chamber), the absolute masterpiece of Andrea Mantegna, painted between 1465 and 1474 for Ludovico II Gonzaga. I will tell you who the courtiers portrayed on the walls really are, why the famous ceiling oculus — with its dizzying foreshortened putti — changed the history of painting, and which political secrets hide behind this "simple" bedroom.

The Old Court and the New Court

The route crosses the nuclei that make up the palace: the medieval Corte Vecchia facing Piazza Sordello, where it all began; and the sixteenth-century Corte Nuova, bearing the unmistakable hand of Giulio Romano.

Among the rooms we will see: the Pisanello Hall, with the chivalric fresco cycle rediscovered under layers of plaster only in the twentieth century; the Archers' Hall with Rubens' altarpiece of the Holy Trinity; the spectacular Hall of Mirrors with its frescoed vault and playful optical effects; the Zodiac Room, a painted night sky that enchants every visitor; and the apartments of Isabella d'Este, the most refined art collector of the Renaissance.

Why visit it with a private guide

The Ducal Palace is a fascinating labyrinth: over 900 rooms layered across four centuries. Without a key to read it, you leave impressed but confused. On a private tour the story follows you: your interests, your pace, your children's questions — and the itinerary adapts to the rooms and exhibitions open on the day.

How the visit works

We meet in Piazza Sordello, in front of the museum entrance. The tour lasts about two hours, in English, Italian or French. When you call, we agree on date, time and admission tickets — so when you arrive, everything is ready.