Palazzo Del Podestà, Mantua on:
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The Palazzo del Podestà, or Palazzo del Broletto, is a 13th-century palace, located between Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza Broletto, in the center of
The palace was built in 1227 as the home and offices of the commune government in Mantua. After a fire, the building was reconstructed in 
The Palazzo del Podeatà facade, while still displaying the tipsy arrangement of windows is more sober in its decoration.
Presently, the palace is still under much needed reconstruction.
Mantua
Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...
, region of Lombardy, Italy. The building for many years serving as the offices of the Municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
. The main facade faces Piazza Broletto.
History
The palace was built in 1227 as the home and offices of the commune government in Mantua. After a fire, the building was reconstructed in Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
-style by designs of Luca Fancelli, commissioned in the 15th century by Duke Ludovico Gonzaga. The main facade has a niche with a well-worn 13th-statue said to be of Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...
at his desk, between two columns.
The palace has, as described, two facades. The main facade on Piazza Broletto has a tall clocktower with an awkwardly place coat of arms. The niches hold the statue of Virgil and the Virgin. The palace shows the evidence of reconstruction across the centuries with walled up arches of prior windows, interrupted by newer construction.
At the Corner, a large arch, with mullioned windows are the Arch of the Arengario, that links the building to the town archives or Masseria.
The Palazzo del Podeatà facade, while still displaying the tipsy arrangement of windows is more sober in its decoration.
Presently, the palace is still under much needed reconstruction.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palazzo del Podesta, Mantua Palaces in Mantua Renaissance architecture in Mantua