Te Palace (Palazzo Te) Tours
2 Reviews
Te Palace (Palazzo Te) is a half-hour’s enjoyable walk from the heart of gorgeous Mantua, a wonderfully OTT summer palace built for Federico II Gonzaga between 1525 and 1535. Designed by Renaissance architect Giulio di Piero Pippi de’ Iannuzzi (known as Romano), the palace was Federico’s retreat from royal life, which centered on the Palazzo Ducale in Piazza Sordello. A seemingly endless series of lavishly adorned apartments were decorated by leading artists of the day and reflect his pet obsessions with love, horses and astrology, from statuesque equine portraits in the Hall of the Horses to alarmingly suggestive frescoes by Romano in the Chamber of Amor and Psyche.
The palazzo was also built to remind the great unwashed of Mantua who held political supremacy over them; the vast and fantastically ornate Sala dei Giganti (Room of the Giants) is a metaphor for Gonazga power, which sees Titan overthrown by the gods in a dazzling trompe l’oeil that creates the illusion that the ceiling is collapsing. Tucked away among the upper floors of Palazzo Te is the town’s Museo Civico, where displays include a jumble of armory, medals, coins and Egyptian artifacts along with Gonzaga family portraits by 20th-century artist Armando Spadini.
The extensive formal gardens include loggias, a shell-encrusted grotto, stuccowork cloisters, fish ponds and Federico’s pretty garden retreat.
Practical Info
Viale Te 13, Mantua. Admission adults €10, seniors €7, ages 12–18 and students €3.50, free for under 12. Open Mon 1pm–6pm; Tue–Sun
9am–6pm. Best reached on foot from central Mantua.
Address: Viale Te 13, Mantua, Lombardy 46100, Italy
Hours: Mon 1pm–6pm; Tue–Sun 9am–6pm
Admission: Adults €10, Seniors €7, ages 12–18 and students €3.50, free for under 12
5 Tours and Activities to Experience Te Palace (Palazzo Te)
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Palazzo Ducale Mantova - Private Guide led Guided Tour
Learn the legends and stories behind one of Italy’s most opulent Renaissance palaces—once home to the Gonzaga Lords— during this private walking tour. Choose between two guided visits for added flexibility: the National Museum of Palazzo Ducal, a masterpiece art collection housed over 500 ornate aristocratic chambers, or the Palazzo Te, a summer villa filled with sensual and illusionist frescoes. Or combine both for the ultimate in-depth experience.
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From
$136.07
per group
From
$136.07
per group
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Mantua Private Walking Tour
You will discover the Unesco city of Mantua from the gardens of the ducal residence of the Gonzaga lords, the magnificent Ducal Palace and the cathedral overlooking the cobbled Piazza Sordello Up to the fabulous lake and Palazzo Te
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From
$167.00
Price varies by group size
From
$167.00
Price varies by group size
Private Tour Lazing Between the Giants
Journey to discover the "Villa degli Ozi", wanted by Federico II as a place of relaxation, quiet, fun and ... much more!
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From
$80.65
From
$80.65
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Guided Tour of Te Palace of Mantua
Artistic hub in Mantua, that deserves to be suitably explained is Palazzo Te, a suburban villa devoted to the pleasures of leisure. Architect Giulio Romano, as the heir of his great master Raphael, is called from Rome to build and decorate this Renaissance villa between 1525 and 1535, inspired by ancient Roman villas.
Palazzo Te is an exemplary model of the Mannerist style as about architecture and an outstanding example of 16th century Italian painting. The name of the building derives from that of the place where it was built: the “island of Tejeto”, abbreviated as “Te”, where mantuan Lords held the ducal stables for the breeding of famous Gonzaga thoroughbred trained for battlefields and tournaments.
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From
$98.96
per group
From
$98.96
per group
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
CSTRents - Mantova Segway PT Authorized Tour
• 3-hour Segway tour lead by an expert local guide
• See top Mantova. From piazza Marconi to piazza Mantegna that, together with the adjacent piazza Erbe, forms the city centre where stands the Saint Andrew’s Basilica, celebrated work of the Renaissance art.
We get to the picturesque piazza Erbe with its medieval buildings; the Reason’s Palace and Saint Laurence’s Rotunda being the most outstanding ones.
We arrive in piazza Sordello to admire the Ducal Palace or Gonzaga Royal Palace and moreover the Cathedral and Bonacolsi Palace, and then we continue towards the lakes.
Our back course gets onto piazza Castello and provides even more surprises before heading back, along comfortable and safe paths, to the arrival at the Tea Palace.
• Hear tales of colorful history from a knowledgeable guide
• Enjoy a Segway sightseeing tour that’s suitable for all fitness levels
• Small-group tour with a maximum of eight people ensures a personalized experience
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From
$138.67
Price varies by group size
From
$138.67
Price varies by group size
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
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