The Arcade
The Galleria degli Antichi is a Renaissance-style building located on Piazza d`Armi, in Sabbioneta, province of Mantua, Italy.
This large arcade, built in 1584-1586, is an articulated brick structure. The interiors, however, are richly frescoed and
once housed the Gonzaga collection of antique Roman statuary and hunting trophies. While the architectural design of the gallery is striking, the richness of the interior decoration of the palazzo is also dazzling.
The statuary collection was acquired in the 16th century by Vespasiano Gonzaga from antique dealers and collectors of northern Italy, as well as much of it carried away as booty by his father after the imperial Sack of Rome in 1527. The hunting trophies originated from imperial collections in Prague. Much of this collection remained in the palace until 1773, when the Austrian authorities transferred them to the Palace of the Accademia di Mantova, leaving the gallery an elegant but vacant shell of its former state.
The Arcade
The Galleria degli Antichi is a Renaissance-style building located on Piazza d`Armi, in Sabbioneta, province of Mantua, Italy.
This large arcade, built in 1584-1586, is an articulated brick structure. The interiors, however, are richly frescoed and
once housed the Gonzaga collection of antique Roman statuary and hunting trophies. While the architectural design of the gallery is striking, the richness of the interior decoration of the palazzo is also dazzling.
The statuary collection was acquired in the 16th century by Vespasiano Gonzaga from antique dealers and collectors of northern Italy, as well as much of it carried away as booty by his father after the imperial Sack of Rome in 1527. The hunting trophies originated from imperial collections in Prague. Much of this collection remained in the palace until 1773, when the Austrian authorities transferred them to the Palace of the Accademia di Mantova, leaving the gallery an elegant but vacant shell of its former state.