San Giorgio of Mantua castle
Mantua is a small and peaceful Italian town that has managed to maintain until today many historical and architectural monuments. Today the town is a pleasant place to visit and tour. Here you can see the magnificent Palazzo Ducale, Renaissance Church of Santa Barbara, and the old fortress. It is known as the Castle of San Giorgio and represents a massive and impressive palace, located in the northeast corner of the Palazzo Ducale.
The town is located in Mantua, northern Italy region of Lombardy, 153 km southeast of Milan and 145 km southwest of Venice . The castle faces the faces of people entering from Ponte San Giorgio. San Giorgio is inherently large in size, reddish medieval fortress, which dates from the period of management of family Gonzaga.
This line are hereditary rulers of the village from 1328 to 1708, and have been for Mantua what the Medici are to Florence. During their administration the city flourished and many of the buildings built during these centuries have been preserved to this day.
The foundations of the castle of San Giorgio were laid in 1395 and the project was awarded to Bartolino da Novara - one of the most famous military architects of the time. He had the task to construct a solid and impressive fortress to protect Mantua and serve as a residence to Gontsaga family, that is trying to assert their dominance on these lands.
Bartolini designed the castle of San Giorgio in an amazing way - it stands at the entrance to the drawbridge, which remains in a moat. Indeed, the palace has three entrances, each of which is accessible by a drawbridge. San Giorgio has a square architectural plan with four corner towers which, together with bridges and water protection makes it an excellent place for protection in case of attacks.
Castle of San Giorgio was originally built with only defensive end to mind, but very soon became part of the magnificent Palazzo Ducale. Master site in Renaissance style, which surrounds the palace of the two countries, is the work of the Florentine master Luca Fancelli. Over time, San Giorgio became the military structure in a beautiful palace, filled with many treasures and works of art from Gonzaga family.
Luca Fancelli decorated some of the most remarkable rooms of the palace around 1459. The Camera Picta or drawing room / Bridal Room (Camera degli Sposi) is the most popular room of the castle of San Giorgio . This room is decorated between the 1465-1475 years and is known for its frescoes, the work of Andrea Mantegna.
San Giorgio, for years, is home to Isabella d'Esta, who was the wife of Francesco Gonzaga. Isabella was a passionate lover of literature and art, and in her circle of friends came such names as Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino, and many other brilliant masters of the time. Today castle San Giorgio follows this tradition and serves as a place of many exhibitions and displays.
