Mantua, Ducal Palace ends the year with nearly 300 thousand visitors

We are not at record levels, but we are close: in Mantua, Palazzo Ducale is about to close 2023 with almost 300,000 visitors who have walked its halls, almost in line with the pre-pandemic figure (in 2019 at the end of the year there were 346,462 visitors), and far higher than last year’s 237,000. These are important numbers because several interventions are underway at the Doge’s Palace: in fact, about ten construction sites are currently active in the museum. However, this has not affected themuseum’s offerings, as the institute has opened new sections in its itinerary, presenting important acquisitions and starting a systematic reorganization of the collections.

According to the museum, these factors have contributed to increased public interest, partly because there have been no major exhibitions at the Ducal Palace this year: also aided by the first year totally devoid of Covid, tourists have returned to Mantua, with the usual peaks in spring and fall (the best month was April, with 54,000 visitors). However, the museum now aims to make the attendance curve more balanced by bringing up the most unloaded periods, in order to allow the city a more sustainable tourist industry and to ensure a pleasant and fruitful museum visit.

Among the most important acquisitions of the year are the large painting by Grechetto, theAllegory of the Gonzaga-Nevers on which a dossier exhibition was organized last spring, and the Portrait of Vincenzo I Gonzaga by Jean Bahuet. As far as the renovation of the displays is concerned, the main one is that of the Ducal Apartment in Corte Vecchia, which is now presented with an all-new lighting system and a thorough and comprehensive apparatus of room panels. The same can be said of the section devoted to Pisanello’s cycle, which was renovated at the end of the previous year with the successful exhibition The Tumult of the World and which we now see enriched with a section devoted to weapons and armor from the late medieval period. Also reopened during 2023 were the Hall of Arms at St. George’s Castle, with the large Juliesque tapestry of Philostratus’ Heroes and a rather curious collection of medals and ancient objects, and the Hall of Troy with a small but substantial overhaul of the layout.

In addition to the usual series of events, lectures, and initiatives for young and old, the cultural program of 2023 also included a welcome novelty such as the Ducal Resonances musical review, organized thanks to a grant from the General Directorate for Entertainment.

“It has been an intense and satisfying year,” says Ducal Palace Director Stefano L’Occaso. “The credit for the excellent result goes to the staff of Palazzo Ducale, who worked steadily, keeping the museum open every weekend, every bridge, on every possible occasion, enriching it with quality events and initiatives; despite the obvious shortage of staff. It will be difficult to maintain this margin of growth, but we will try to improve in 2024 as well. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the Ducal Palace to see the renovated Ducal Apartment, recently enriched by the portrait of Vincenzo I Gonzaga, a treat to celebrate these festive days in the best possible way. We look forward to seeing you there! And we will soon announce the rich series of events and engagements in 2024.”

Mantua, Ducal Palace ends the year with nearly 300 thousand visitors

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