Palazzo Te

Palazzo Te was commissioned in 1524 by Federico II Gonzaga and designed and decorated between 1525 and 1535 by Giulio Romano, a pupil of Raphael. It served as a villa outside the city walls, for pleasure and for entertaining important guests, among them Emperor Charles V (in 1530 and 1532). Four wings surround a square courtyard, modelled on Roman villas.

The most famous room is the Sala dei Giganti: the battle of the gods against the giants covers walls and ceiling, and the rounded corners draw visitors into the middle of the scene. Also worth seeing are the Sala dei Cavalli, with life-size portraits of the Gonzaga horses, and the Camera di Amore e Psiche. The “Percorso del Principe” links the Palazzo Ducale with the Te, so the two visits combine well into a walk through Mantua. One to two hours is enough for the visit.

According to Atlas Obscura, the Sala dei Giganti was painted between 1532 and 1535 and follows Ovid’s Metamorphoses: on the ceiling Jupiter hurls lightning at the giants. The acoustics allow whispered words to be heard from opposite corners of the room. The complex also includes a secret garden with an artificial grotto and a small Egyptian museum.