Mantua's Palazzo Ducale nears end of 14-year restoration
After 14 years of scaffolding and structural work, the vast Palazzo Ducale in Mantua, northern Italy, is almost back.
Director Stefano L'Occaso says about 99% of the restoration and revitalisation was complete as of autumn 2026, after a programme that began with earthquake damage in 2012, according to The Art Newspaper.
The palace dates from the 13th century. It was extended over centuries by the Gonzaga dynasty, the family that ruled Mantua.
It covers 35,000 sq. m. It holds 1,000 rooms. Historic Mantua, including the palace, earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2008.
In spring 2012, two strong earthquakes centred in Emilia-Romagna shook the complex. The bell tower of the Basilica Palatina di Santa Barbara, the palace church, almost collapsed.
A crack ran through a key scene in the Camera Picta (1465-74) by Andrea Mantegna, the frescoed chamber where the paintings were made on wet plaster. Both the tower and the Mantegna room were repaired by the end of 2016.
The palace's southwest tower was given a new earthquake-proof floor. It is now routinely open to visitors.
The frescoed Bridal Chamber reopened in April 2015. Restoration of the palace itself at that stage was put at about €750,000 in a report at the time, according to ANSA.
Work has continued room by room. The Appartamento Grande di Castello, commissioned by Duke Guglielmo Gonzaga (1538-87), reopened in July with restored ceilings and reinforced walls and floors.
In September, a stabilised portico bordering the Giardino dei Semplici, the historic herb garden, reopened. The corridor overlooking that garden, the Corridore del Giardino dei Semplici, was restored with €700,000 of FSC funds and joined a new visitor route inaugurated on 26 and 27 September 2026.
A separate project at Corte Nuova, the palace's newer court, had a total value of €1,800,000. It included seismic improvement, recovery of historic surfaces, restoration of wooden ceilings and consolidation of roofing, according to InItaly.
The next chapter opens on 10 October. From 10 October 2026 to 10 January 2027, the palace holds a major exhibition devoted to Ferdinando Gonzaga (1587-1626), according to Artprice.
The museum lists opening hours as Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 to 19:15, with last entry at 18:20, and closure on Mondays and on 25 December, 1 January and 1 March.
For visitors, this means more doors open. Tower views, grand apartments and the garden corridor that were shut for years can now be walked in a single visit.
