Sabbioneta

Sabbioneta is an Italian Renaissance town with 4341 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) in the Po Valley, between Parma and Mantua. The size of the town's impressive, fully restored city wall is created in the form of an irregular hexagon with star-shaped projecting bastions. Two city gates open up the city: the Porta Vittoria ( 1565 ) and the Porta Imperiale ( 1579). Two additional access roads were built around 1900.

In 2008, the old towns of Mantua and Sabbioneta was introduced into the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage.

History

Vespasian Gonzaga (1531-1591), Duke of Sabbioneta and descendant of a collateral line of the house of Gonzaga of Mantua, used his experience as a military engineer in Spain and North Africa in order to expand the paternal ancestral town and castle to a princely residence. Between 1554 and 1571 Sabbioneta was built as an ideal city and thus was the first autonomous city's founding of the Renaissance.

Attractions

Of the numerous buildings in the center are particularly noteworthy:

• The Ducal Palace ( Palazzo Ducale ) was the official office and residence of the Dukes of Sabbioneta. Particularly noteworthy here are the intricately carved wooden ceilings and the life-size horse statues.
• The Church of S. Maria Assunta was built in 1578-1582. Bell tower, chapel entrance and interior decoration from the 18th century.
• The synagogue was built in 1824 on the foundations of a derived from an earlier period synagogue in the old Jewish quarter. Furnishings are from older temples, some dating from the 16th century.

Galleria degli antichi

Galleria degli antichi

Synagogue

• The Gallery of Ancient Art ( Galleria degli Antichi ) was Vespasian Gonzaga built to accommodate his collection of antiquities. She is one of the longest Renaissance galleries with 96 meters in length.
• The Teatro Olimpico was built in 1588-1590 by Vincenzo Scamozzi based on the model of the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. It is the first free-standing theater in Europe, which was built specifically for this purpose. Inside is a gallery with Corinthian columns supporting a cornice, on which there are Greek gods and goddesses. The fixed stage was lost in the 18th century and was rebuilt to the original a few years ago.
• The Palazzo del Giardino was reserved for the private life of the Duke. It was built in 1578-1588 and has hosted his marble statue collection.
• Church and Convent of the Carmelites were established in 1683 on the foundations of a 1580 built by Gonzago church.
• The Convento dei Servi di Maria was built in 1588-1593. Until 1798 he served as a guest of the monks of the Order of Servites.
• In the octagonal church dell'Incoronata, built 1586-1588, is the grave chamber of the Duke Vespasian Gonzaga and his bronze statue, the work of Leone Leoni.

Theater stage

Gallery above the spectator stands

After the death of her town's founder, the city lost, however, is becoming increasingly important. It is almost completely preserved in its physical expression

Trivia

The scenery of the city in 1969 took advantage of the Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci for his film Strategia del ragno ( German strategy of the spider).