Saint George Castle, Medieval castle in Mantua, Italy
The Castello di San Giorgio is a square castle with four corner towers, surrounded by a moat crossed by three drawbridges. It stands on the site of the church of Santa Maria di Capo di Bove and forms part of the Ducal Palace of Mantua. Its rooms include the Camera degli Sposi, frescoed by Andrea Mantegna between 1465 and 1475.
Francesco I Gonzaga had Bartolino da Novara build the castle from 1395 to 1406 on the ruins of Santa Maria di Capo di Bove. In 1459 Ludovico III Gonzaga had Luca Fancelli convert it from fortress into a palace. It stayed the Gonzaga residence for about a century, until Guglielmo Gonzaga moved his apartments to the Corte Vecchia. From 1815 Austria used it as a maximum-security prison for political opponents.
The Camera Picta in the northeast tower displays frescoes by Andrea Mantegna that bring the walls to life with clever optical tricks. The room shows how the Gonzaga family linked art and power together.
Access is through the larger Ducal Palace, to which it connects, so plan time for the whole complex when visiting. There are multiple levels and towers to explore, so comfortable shoes are a good idea.
The castle once served as a gathering place for art-loving patrons: Leonardo da Vinci, poet Ludovico Ariosto, and other noted artists were hosted here by Isabella d'Este. These visits turned it into a real hub for artistic exchange during the Renaissance.
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