Cortile della Mostra

Cortile della Mostra is a rectangular courtyard within Palazzo Ducale featuring a grassy center surrounded by a two-story arcaded portico. The lower arcade sits on rusticated stone blocks with twisted semi-columns supporting the upper level, creating a rhythmic sequence around the perimeter.

The courtyard was built around 1560 under Duke Guglielmo Gonzaga with designs by Giovanni Battista Bertani. Bertani incorporated architectural concepts from Giulio Romano, an earlier master who had worked on the palace complex.

This courtyard served as a display space for the Gonzaga family's art and demonstrates how Renaissance rulers merged indoor and outdoor living. The arcades frame views and light in ways that enhanced the viewing of sculptures and paintings displayed throughout the palace.

Access to the courtyard comes only through guided tours of the Ducal Palace, entered from Piazza Sordello in the city center. Visitors should expect uneven ground surfaces and be aware that entry depends on group size and tour scheduling.

The upper arcades feature a distinctive double order of open arches arranged in a pattern that recalls Roman aqueducts in an unexpected way. This rhythmic repetition of supporting arches is quite uncommon for courtyards of this era.