Villa La Favorita Porto Mantovano, Italy The remains of the last Gonzaga villa
Villa La Favorita - Porto Mantovano, Italy. - The remains of the last Gonzaga villa, a luxurious palace built in spite of an economic crisis.
VILLA LA FAVORITA WAS THE last great Gonzaga palace (the dukes of Mantua) built by the will of Ferdinando Gonzaga.
Ferdinando was the second-born of Vincenzo Duke of Mantua; he was sent to Rome to start an ecclesiastical career, which was typical for the Italian noble families to avoid succession fights. Ferdinando became cardinal when his brother Francesco IV died of smallpox with his only son. He returned to Mantua just to find the worst economic crisis of the duchy. Francesco tried to cut court costs during his brief period of leadership, but that did not solve the problem.
BE571FD5-E943-484B-8D8C-E77E687B2FD1.jpeg
Despite the crisis, Ferdinando decided that Mantua needed a Versailles-like palace more than anything else. He decided to built the new palace outside of the city, but not too far, just on the other side of the lakes system that surround Mantua. The construction took about 10 years, starting in 1613 or 1615, depending on which source you check, and completed in 1624. Ferdinando had only two years to enjoy his palace, as he died in 1626.
145DFD0A-58CD-498E-930F-37F428C1064B.jpeg
DF676450-BAD4-4F34-AFE8-9EADCECB0BE1.jpeg
0363E28B-9102-4D18-AD17-B759C5BD77F4.jpeg
71E942B4-68D1-4705-B802-757EA19FC8B6.jpeg
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/...a-the-favorite
Reply With Quote
