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Places of the family Valenti Gonzaga
Houses and atmospheres of the "collector" Silvio's family
Notes for a proposed tourist tour
The Valentis, family of Lombard origin coming from Dalmatia, settled in Mantua in the Middle Ages, where they were known for their rich landed properties and their ability in trading. In 1518 the noble knight Valente Valenti got the privilege to add the family name Gonzaga to his own and he acquired the emblem of the Gonzagas’ eagles, which were included in the Valenti family’s coat of arms.
The tour in Mantua to discover the Marquises Valenti Gonzaga’s places begins at n.7 via Frattini, in the Contrada Cervo, where the magnificent Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga rises. Here Silvio Valenti Gonzaga (1690-1756), the future cardinal and collector, patron of the sciences and arts was born. Odoardo Valenti Gonzaga (1620-1677), Silvio Grandfather commissioned the radical renewal in Baroque’s style of the original 15 century family dwelling. The author of this transformation was the Flemish architect Frans Geffels (1625-1694), former master of Gonzaga Dukes’ buildings. In 1677 the work was almost done: the facade preserved the 16th century marble plinth with ashlars shaped like the point of a diamond and it was raised at the the fifth order of opening to give light to the new rooms in the piano nobile. Geffels asked for Giovanni Battista Barberini ‘s collaboration (1625-1692)for the realisation of the cycle of stucco decorator in the Gallery, in the Chapel and in the Camera del Figliol Prodigo.
The internal courtyard is amazing thanks to the rich stucco decorations: draped statues, telamons, herms, grimacing and mocking masks, panoply, cartouches, vases, eagles and lions (the latter are Valenti Gonzaga’s disjointed heraldic emblems) fruit festoons and fluttering tapes run on the surface the four walls. On the wall opposite the portal under the tympanum, a cartouche bears the words' Valentibus apta ', eternally binding the high rank of the family to thr magnificent dwelling. Inside the building the impressive Camera del Figliol Prodigo (ownership of Gallery Museum Valenti Gonzaga) ,casket of Baroque artifice, deserves the attention. The room is decorated with stuccoes and frescoes representing a complex allegory on the moral issues of sin and forgiveness, vices and virtues.
The visit to the courtyard of Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga is free.
The facade of Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga is enriched by the presence of two 15 century houses. On the right, at No. 5,there is the ancient Casa Guerrina (formerly Cattani), which is now privately owned. It was purchased by the Marquis Carlo Valenti in 1690. Here the family Valenti Gonzaga’s younger children lived up to the last descendant, Teresa (1793-1871) who became Count Francesco’s wife with the family name Arrivabene. On the facade you can still admire the 15 century terracotta statues inside the niches.
On the left, at No. 9 Via Frattini, there is the House of Blessed Osanna Andreasi’s house (1449-1505). Here lived Osanna, who belonged to the noble family Andreasi in Mantua and in 1463 became Dominican tertiary. Her life was marked by visions and ecstatic episodes and Leone X in 1515, on concern of Isabella d'Este Marchioness of Mantua, authorized the cult. The house, purchased in 1475 by Nicholas Andreasi, Osanna’s father, is a rare example of 15 housing remained almost intact up to us. It is spread over three floors, in addition to the cellars and attics. The facade is in Fancelli’s style, the internal halls have painted lacunar ceilings, 16 century frescoed grotesqueries, and trompe l'oeil architectures. Benedetta Osanna’s memories, personal belongings and documents are conserved in the piano nobile. The garden is suggestive, with plants and officinal aromatic essences, enclosed by a 15th century arcade whose carved columns bear the family Andreasi’s emblem. The house, passed as a dotal property to Magnaguti Counts at the end of the eighteenth century and was finally donated by the Count Alessandro Magnaguti to Dominicans. Since 1934 the house has been belonging to the Dominican Brotherhood that has restored and has preserved the building thanks to the activities of the Association for the Dominicans Monuments, founded in 1993.
Benedetta Osanna’s house can be visited on Tuesday and Friday from 10 to 13 and every day fixing an appointment. The visit with entrance based on a free offer is organized by the guides of the Association for the Dominicans Monuments.
Tel. and fax. 0376-322297. E-mail casandreasi@virgilio.it
site: www.casandreasi.it
Before leaving via Frattini, we recommend a visit to the 18 century Sant'Egidio church at the civic No 36. A little further along Via Frattini then turn into via Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, once called via Torre Mozza. Here at no 8 there is the Palazzo Gazini Rizzino. The facade, built at the end of the 15 century, is impressive and sober. The crowning frieze presents a complex framework of fired brick supported by shelves and panels with putti’s heads, under this decoration a band has openings in the shape of medallions. The interior is rich in 19 century paintings. The building was purchased by Odoardo Guerrieri Gonzaga in 1857.
Since 1975 it has been owned by the Province of Mantua and today it is home of the technical school “Mantegna”.
The final stop of the history of Valenti Gonzagas’ places is in Sustinente, in the 16 century villa Guerrieri Gonzaga, which is still property and residence of the Marquis Guerrieri Gonzaga, an ancient family from Mantua who became related to Valenti Gonzaga through the wedding of Lucrezia (1720 - 1775), Cardinal Silvio’s niece, with Bonaventura Guerrieri Gonzaga. Lucrezia left the magnificent palace in Via Frattini to move to Sustinente, where between 1760 and 1764 expanded the courtyard of the country seat though the building of the barn, of the barchesse and other buildings for the servants (as testified by the walled tombstones in the estate). The central body of the country seat built atthe end of the sixteenth century is unique for its particular architectural character: the two buildings are connected by a tripartite porch with arches in the centre. The farm wanted by Lucrezia continues with her descendants: 'Court Restara' of the Marquis Guerrieri Gonzaga extends now to the “golena” in defense of Sustinente and Serravalle (in the local toponymy 'restara' means external to the main embankment and in the case of “golena defence” protected against floods with another little bank). Now the farm has also the Agriturismo “Ca 'Guerrieri” with restaurant, conference rooms, swimming pool, apartments. Sustinente is twenty miles southeast from Mantua, on the left bank of the Po, and can be reached by car along the main road to Ostiglia or by motorboat from Mantua.
Farm Corte Restara, Via Martini 9, Sustinente MN 46030. Tel. 0386-710296 Fax 0386-437342 E-mail: corterestara@corterestara.com
Http://www.corterestara.com.
Agriturismo Ca’ Guerriera, Via Martini 91 46030 Sustinente MN Tel. 0386-437343 Fax 0386-437342 E-mail: infocaguerriera@corterestara.com
Http://www.caguerriera.com
In Sacchetta, near Sustinente (1.5 km) there is a dock for navigation on the river Po and Mantua lakes.
Motorboat Delta-Andes (inland waterway transport, sightseeing on Po-Mincio-Laguna Veneta) 0376-324506 call center, web site: www.naviandes.com
(Edited by Maria Giuseppina Sordi, art historian)