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Piazza Sordello is a large square in the UNESCO World Heritage listed city of Mantua, Italy. It contains some of the most important historic buildings in the city.
History
The square was built in 1330 and originally named Piazza di San Pietro. During the rule of the Gonzaga family, Piazza Sordello became Mantua’s center of political, religious, and social life. It’s named for 13th century Italian poet Sordello da Goito.
Piazza Sordello
We entered the square by passing under the Vault of Saint Peter (Voltone di San Pietro), one of the three ancient gates in the city walls. From there, we walked to the other end of the square to admire the buildings.
Ducal Palace
The most important building on the square is the Ducal Palace, the home of the Gonzagas for nearly 400 years. It includes around 500 rooms and occupies over 34,000 m². What you see from Piazza Sordello is the Palazzo del Capitano wing of the palace. The palace is covered in a separate entry.
Duomo of Mantova
Another important building is the Duomo of Mantua (Duomo di Mantova), also known as the Cathedral of Saint Peter (Cattedrale di San Pietro). This church, which was originally built in the Middle Ages, was renovated from 1395 to 1401 by Francesco I Gonzaga. The bell tower is in the Romanesque style and survives from the original medieval construction. Unfortunately, we couldn’t enter due to a funeral.
Episcopal Palace
To the left of the Duomo is the Episcopal Palace (Palazzo Vescovile). It was built between 1756 and 1786 by Giuseppe Bianchi and originally called the Palazzo Bianchi. The building was sold to the Diocese of Mantua in 1824 and now houses the bishop’s residence as well as the offices of the Curia.
Palazzo Castiglioni
To the left of the Palazzo Bianchi is the Palazzo Castiglioni, originally known as the Palazzo Bonacolsi. It was the home of the ruling Bonacolsi family before they were overthrown by the Gonzagas on August 13, 1328. The palace was built at the end of the 13th century and purchased by the Castiglioni family in the early 18th century.
Piazza Lega Lombarda
Finally, if you take the passage through the Ducal Palace, you come to Piazza Lega Lombarda. This open space features gravel paths with tall trees and bushes. There are also memorials to Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga (1861-1938) and Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga (1889-1943), two important Italian military leaders from the Gonzaga line.
