The
Ducal Palace in Mantua is commonly described as "a city within the
city": a labyrinth of more than five hundred rooms, corridors and
courtyards, which, together with the gardens, covers an area of over 35.000
meters squared.
A truly
monumental complex, consisting of buildings constructed at different times and
for different purposes, then connected by stairs, corridors and hallways.
The
palace, which has been the home and headquarters of the Gonzaga family for
almost four centuries (1328 to 1707), is an extraordinary composite of the
history of European art and architecture.
Examples
of the Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque periods are here joined together,
in wonderful harmony, and - above all - the Ducal Palace is today the home of
extraordinary priceless works of art: frescoes by Pisanello, Mantegna and
Giulio Romano, paintings by Rubens and Domenico Fetti, and tapestries designed
by Raphael. These masterpieces make the Palace a museum attracting visitors
from all over the world: more than 220 thousand tourists visited it during the
year 2011.
But
this extraordinary monument is now in difficulty: the repeated earthquakes
which struck Mantua since May 21st, inflicted a great deal of damage to the
Palace. More than fifty rooms were affected.
The
bell tower of the Palatine Basilica of
St. Barbara, the private church of the Gonzagas, built within the Ducal
Palace between 1562 and 1572, was beheaded on May 29th: the lantern of the
tower collapsed and falling on the Ducal Palace, shattered its roof and broke
the marble balustrade of an attic.
The
late-Gothic Castle of St. George
(born at first as a military structure, and then converted to a residence for
the Gonzaga family) is in an alarming situation: an old crack on the frescoes
by Mantegna in the Bridal Chamber,
has reopened and enlarged, with loss of colour.
In
other areas of the Castle the damage is even more evident: the conspicuous fall
of plaster and the opening of cracks crossing the walls from one side to the
other are clear signs of structural problems, which can undermine the stability
and security of the entire building.
In the New Court a big crack has opened,
crossing - from the floor up to the ceiling - the wall which separates the Room of Manto and the Room the Captains, with significant
falls of plaster and stucco.
In the
same area of the Ducal Palace, a visible difference in the level of the floor
between two adjoining rooms is the clear symptom of the movement of the
underlying structures. Other lesions can be seen in the Loggia del Tasso.
The
scientific surveys, carried out on the entire Ducal Palace, has revealed a
situation of weakness and fragility of the complex.
In the
weeks immediately following the earthquakes, a first small portion of the Ducal
Palace was reopened to visitors.
In
September, the number of rooms made safe and reopened was increased, reaching
to cover almost a third of the extension of the Ducal Palace, corresponding to
the Old Court, the area less
affected. Unfortunately the Castle of St.
George (where the Manegna frescoes are) and the New Court are still closed.
The
first approximate estimate of the funds needed for the restoration of the Ducal
Palace was about 5 millions of Euros (i.e. 6.600.000 US Dollars / 4.000.000
British Pounds). A similar amount would be needed for the seismic retrofitting
of the entire complex.
Although
this amount should now to be recalculated on the real data collected during the
early stages of the surveys, it is clear that, even in the most optimistic
forecasts, the cost of the restoration of the Ducal Palace in Mantua is going
to be huge.
The
Italian Government has already allocated some funds for the Restoration, and
more than 150.000 Euros (i.e. 197.000 US Dollars / 122.000 British Pounds) have
been raised thanks to the generosity of private donors.
The
donations collected so far represent a trill of hope, mostly in the way of
general uncertainty which characterizes this historical moment. Anyway the
situation of the Ducal Palace still remains a cause for concern. The real risk
is that the needs of this monument, which has guaranteed Mantua the inclusion
of the UNSECO list of the World Heritage Sites, may be put in the background by
the financial crisis.
The
plea is therefore spread to all men and women of good will: Save the Ducal
Palace of Mantua!
