San Barnaba, Baroque church in Mantua, Italy.
San Barnaba is a baroque church in Mantua with a single nave and three symmetrical side chapels on each side, separated by balustrades and decorated with marble altars. Large windows illuminate the interior and the semicircular apse, while the facade design by Antonio Galli Bibiena from the 1700s shapes its exterior appearance.
The church was entrusted to the Servite Order by Francesco I Gonzaga in 1397, marking its founding as a monastic chapel. The structure underwent significant changes over centuries, with major reconstruction work reshaping the building in later periods.
The church served as a gathering place for Mantua's residents across centuries and remains woven into the city's identity. You can sense how this location held deep meaning for people who lived here.
The church sits in a central location within the city, easily reached on foot from Mantua's main squares. The interior is bright and open, making it comfortable to walk through and explore at your own pace.
The renowned Renaissance architect Giulio Romano, who shaped Mantua's identity, was buried here in 1546, though his tomb vanished during later reconstruction work. This connection to one of the city's most influential figures remains largely hidden from view today.
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