MUSEUM

THE MUSEUM

Since Palazzo Gonzaga is a historical monument and material and immaterial heritage of primary importance, as well as a point of reference for the social and cultural life of the town, the Municipal Administration established, in 2016, the Museum of Palazzo Gonzaga, which comprises the entire palace, its appurtenances, stables and gardens.
The museum aims to enhance, pass on and promote this monumental and museum heritage through continuous care and maintenance of the monument and its collections, and the dissemination of historical and cultural content through activities, events, research projects, exhibitions, educational workshops and every other action to the benefit of the palace.

THE KITCHENS

The north wing of the palace was completely recovered in 2012 with a project to restore to its former glory the large sixteenth-century kitchen and associated service areas, including cellars, pantries and the beautiful icebox. It is entirely open to visitors, and preserves, in addition to the various spaces, archaeological finds and historical reconstructions relating to the Renaissance period, and a permanent exhibition of ‘Conviviality and Wine in the Renaissance’.
Renaissance in the Kitchen, curated by Mario Piavoli:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca4XCieznEQ&app=desktop

THE EXCAVATION

Inside the cellars, it is possible to visit an evocative exhibition of archaeological finds relating to the day-to-day life of the palace, discovered in the kitchen drainage pit and datable to between the mid-16th and the 17th century. Exhibited alongside plates, mugs, blown glass goblets and bottles, cutlery and other kitchen and table items are various other objects related to the daily life of the inhabitants of the building.

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ACTIVITIES

The museum offers a series of activities and services to the public:

  • Educational workshops and guided tours for schools
  • Events relating to the culture of the Renaissance, including animated visits, historical costume events and the ‘Renaissance of the Senses’ series of events

THE MASCOT OF THE MUSEUM

Since 2019, the Museum of Palazzo Gonzaga has had a mascot called Tampellon.
Tampellon is a dog that lived in the palace around the end of the 16th century, and was so loved by its owners, and probably by all the servants, that he was remembered with a tombstone found in the gardens by the historian Signorini in 1980 and donated to the palace in 2013.
The tombstone inscription is of considerable value, with elegant characters and rhyming verses denoting the great affection felt by the owners who commissioned it.
Thanks to the beautiful description handed down to us via the epigraph, and to the skilled handiwork of the illustrator Chiara Cervigni, we have given a face to Tampellon, which is used on various objects for sale in the little museum bookshop.

EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS

In 2018, the Museum of Palazzo Gonzaga launched a new line of educational experiences aimed at schools.
The educational packages provide various opportunities, ranging from simple visits to the palace and its gardens to more complex itineraries combining guided tours with educational manual skills workshops relating to aspects of daily life during the Renaissance, the golden period of the palace as the country residence of the Gonzaga family and, subsequently, the permanent residence of the Guerrieri Gonzaga’s.
The range of workshops on offer is extremely varied, and continues to be expanded year after year.
To find out more about the educational offering, click below:

2019-20 educational proposals for primary schools

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2019-20 educational proposals for lower secondary schools

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2019-20 educational proposals for higher secondary schools

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