Sabbioneta in the Po
valley near Mantua (Mantova) is a sleepy
little town that I never tire of
visiting. It was conceived as a perfect
city by a Renaissance warlord called Vespasiano
Gonzaga in the sixteenth century.
I returned on New Year’s eve with my wife who had never been to
Sabbioneta. She is usually diffident about the places I suggest visiting, but after
a good lunch, where we enjoyed some local specialities washed down with some local Lambrusco, she conceded that Sabbioneta
is well worth visiting.
The figure of Vespasiano is a
typical complicated story of intrigue, war and murder together with a love of
art typical of the nobility in Renaissance Italy.
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| Vespasiano
Gonzaga |
Within the walls of this fortified city one can see several little gems of Renaissance architecture that
have survived a little worse for wear down the centuries. After the death of
its founder the city went into a slow decline in importance.
The Duke administered his little state from “Palazzo Ducale” situated on
the main square. The most interesting thing about this building are the intricate
wooden ceilings as well as the life-size wooden sculptures of the Duke and his
relations.
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
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| Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta MN |
The most spectacular building in Sabbioneta is the “Galleria degli Antichi”
a long corridor 96m long. It was built to house the Dukes collection of
antiquities. Imposing from the outside, it is spectacular to stand inside this galley . The original
contents of the gallery can be seen in Mantua.
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| Galleria degli Anichi, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Galleria degli Anichi, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Galleria degli Anichi, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Galleria degli Anichi, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Galleria degli Anichi, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Galleria degli Anichi, Sabbioneta, MN |
Connected to the gallery stands a seemingly dull modest construction
called the “Casino”. It was the private residence of the Duke. The inside is a riot
of colour. The walls and ceilings are rich in frescos.
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| Casino, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Casino, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Casino, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Casino, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Casino, Sabbioneta, MN |
The theatre is was one of the first modern theatres in Italy to be constructed without making use of a previous Roman construction. The form is
classical, but the stage uses optical illusion to give a sense of depth to the
stage. The theatre has reached us in a rather battered state, having been used
as a store, a barracks and as a cinema. The original vaulted blue ceiling that
represented the sky has long gone and the stage props are reproductions.
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| Teatro, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Teatro, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Teatro, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Teatro, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Teatro, Sabbioneta, MN |
On a visit to Sabbioneta a couple of years ago I met “Il Conte” a local character
who deals in antiques. He let me
photograph the interior of his emporium
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| Il Conte, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Il Conte's emporium, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Il Conte's emporium, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Il Conte's emporium, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Il Conte's emporium, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Il Conte's emporium, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Il Conte's emporium, Sabbioneta, MN |
Santa Maria Assunta is the most important church in Sabbioneta. It is on
the main square near the Palazzo Ducale.
In 1768 the architect Antonio Bibiena constructed a cappella with a roof
in two layers which thanks to a couple of hidden windows has a strange play of
light and shadow.
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| Santa Matia Assunta church, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Santa Matia Assunta church, Sabbioneta, MN |
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| Santa Matia Assunta church, Sabbioneta, MN |
Until recently it was not possible to photograph the insides of the
three principal monuments. Intelligently the Comune ( http://www.iatsabbioneta.org/apl/
) now allow you to take photographs
inside. So for the first time I was also
able to photograph the insides of these fascinating structures.
