2026 Mantua

Mantegna's masterpiece in Mantua

13.8.26

Back in Mantegna's Camera Degli Sposi, Mantua.  But today – miracle – it’s empty.  The peace and beauty are pervasive.  Colours as vibrant as ever.  Parked down by the lake, then walked through the weekly market to here – big and lively.

Market day in Mantua

Cobblestones everywhere, the circular church and cathedral very like those in Brescia.  Long and elegant piazza leading to the Palazzo Ducale.  The usual confusing hunt for the entrance.

Can you spot Mantegna's hidden self-portrait?

To the Freddi Collection, 85 pix I’d not seen before.  Downstairs the amazing “Expulsion of Bonacolsi”.  So much happening everywhere in the nearby Piazza Sordello.  By Domenico Morone.  Copy of Triumphs of Caesar by Mantegna.  The originals – of course – in the UK, at Hampton Court.  Rebellion of Philoctetes by Giovanni Mosca – very delicate, lovely facial expressivity. 

A model of a church facade made entirely of wheat

Along from the main hall, a ceremonial “wheat cart” – depicting the facade of Santa Maria del Giglo in Venice – made entirely of woven wheat fibres. 

Mount Olympus, apparently

And here it is: the island with the labyrinth of water.  An unremarkable but inexplicable fresco.  The info says it is Mount Olympus….

A room decorated with Trojan frescoes

In the Room of the Caesars – originally Titians, now lost, replaced by copied.  Pity, they must have been powerful images.  In the same room, a fine bust of Commodus, 2nd century AD.  A room full of Troy.  Lots of dramatic gestures.  A panel from a sarcophagus, the Labours of Hercules – all of them shown together.

The long, hot gallery of busts

Along the external gallery, past grass – far greener than in the UK, ironically – with dozens of Bernini-like twisted columns lining the facades.  The gallery of busts – long and hot…  To the Raphael tapestries – original cartoons in the V&A….

After a quick cappuccino (and tiramisu) by the still-pulsing market, to the cattedrale.  Very impressive space inside, with a fine coffered barrel vault.  Dome on a drum, high over the crossing.  One of the best churches of its kind.

The cathedral's high dome and coffered barrel vaults

Then to the ancient Rotonda di San Lorenzo, dating back to 11th century.  Identical (well, obvs) with the one in Brescia, but much smaller, and more intimate.   Some of the arches between columns delightfully wonky – still getting the hang of them, evidently.

Up to the Sonnabend Collection

To the Sonnabend Collection – as two old bells with lovely overtones sound midday.  The collection is housed in the Palazzo della Ragione – a huge and mercifully air-conditioned space, only opened last year.  Full of 20th century art – a nice contrast to the Palazzo Ducale.

Lots of Warhol here – including a portrait of Mrs Ileana Sonnabend – never knew she was so plugged into the key art trends.  Impressive.  A temporary installation – Screen Tests – showing various big names of the 60s – Bob Dylan, Dali, Nico, Dennis Hopper – just looking at the camera for minutes.  Surprisingly effective.

Great display of pix of water towers – Peter Greenaway would love it – by Bernd and Hilla Becher.  Nice couple of Kiefers – one black and white, the other thick impasto.

A view from the clock tower

Up the clock tower – not as vertiginous as the one in Cremona.  At the top windows you can open for fine views across the city.  A good way to end a tiring but rewarding few hours here in the beautiful city.

Moody Sonnets: Amazed In Mantua

More destinations:

1992 Padua, Venice

1993 Urbino

1994 Bari

1994 Trieste, Ljubljana 
1995 Siena, Bagno Vignoni, Pienza

1996 Torino

1998 Modena 

2024 Ravenna - with photos

2025 Brescia - with photos

1992 Padua, Venice

13.12.92

In the (small train), waiting to go Brescia, then Padova.  Lovely old train that reminds me of my Interrailing days.  First time I went to Padova was about 13 years ago.  In 13 years time I will be...old.

Padova.  In the Sant'Antonio Basilica.  Wow.  Very Russian from outside – all cupolas.  Inside, spacious.  Very busy – great.  Amazing south transept – huge altar.  At the tomb of Sant'Antonio – votive offerings, the pix… A wall of silver hearts in thanks.  Majestic exterior matched by the grandeur of the interior.

Through the backstreets to Caffè Pedrocchi – rather nice.  But the memory of the church lingers: the best skyline in the world? Like San Marco, but more forceful, more heavenward. To the Cappella degli Scrovegni.  New (for me) museum here: hundreds of religious pix, few much good, but nicely set out.

14.12.92

Cold today – around 2°C.  Bought gloves even (at 5,000 Lire).  Breakfast outside the hotel in café in the Piazza dei Signori.  Bustling market around loggia.  To Eremitani – lovely Mantegna frescoes, badly damaged by Allies.  The face in the middle, staring out of the pic – Mantegna?  Then to the main Palazzo della Ragione for rather small/unexciting exhibit of rings and jewels.  But the hall is magnificent – a huge rhombus, painted walls, and at the end a huge horse, like the Trojan one, made of wood.  Why?

Lunch in pizzeria nearby – excellent gnocchi (absent last night from the otherwise excellent restaurant, near Piazza dell’Erbe).  Reminded me of Venice, where I had polenta first, and also Florence, a restaurant we frequented.  After lunch  and a rather perfumed grappa, to the church Santa Giustina beyond Sant’Antonio.  Beautiful open piazza, spoilt by renovations and traffic.  Church closed...but seems similar to the Basilica.  Which we return to.  Look at the fine frescoes in the north transept of Altichiero – again a face looking at us – “that fat guy”.

Slow walk through the colonnades, which make me think of Calvino for some reason, a little stop in bookshops and a few other negozi.  A lazy, pleasant day, sunshine this afternoon, still very cold.

15.12.92 

Campo Santa Maria Formosa, Hotel Scandinavia – which despite its name is beautiful.  The train journey across to Santa Lucia must be the most romantic in the world.  Especially, as now, in the mist.  Very cold, damp, beautiful.  And eccoci.

The view from our room number 1: Santa Maria Formosa to the left, the greengrocer’s stall to the right, lights in the church and in the building opposite, above “Il Burchiello”.  Voices in the square echo hollowly.  The room small but perfectly 18th century and Venetian.

16.12.92

This hotel has an amazing view of the viavai del mondo – Calle Lunga is right next to us.  Cold again, but no fog.  Saw some quite clever pix in the trattoria last night: long exposure jobs of Venice at night – perfect for the Nocturnes of Walks With Lorenzetti.  Went to the Forestiera Valdese too: rooms available.  I must stay there when I come to photo this place.  Cheap too.

You appreciate Santa Maria Formosa from here – its mass.

In the newspaper La Nuova Venezia (ha!) says that the population of Venice has gone down by 1,000 to 75,000.  What shall we do with this impossible city?  I’d like to turn it into the world’s capital for artists: imagine.

The choreography of crowds – as I first understood at the Bolshoi in Moscow...

On the vaporetto: the gondole as they cross the Grand Canal, passengers standing stiffly as if in some ceremony…

More destinations:

1988 Venice

1993 Urbino

1993 Germany, Austria, Venice 

1994 Venice

1996 Vienna, Venice

1999 Weimar, Venice

Walks with Lorenzetti 

Moody's Black Notebook Travels