The Palace is remarkable. It is a huge space with so many rooms and galleries. It is a testament to the wealth, power and pride of the Gonzaga family who ruled here. The frescos by Mantegna in La Camera degli Sposi are absolutely wonderful. Painted into wet plaster they seem fresh as the day the were executed in the 1460s. They are a marvel of trompe l’oeil … deceiving the eye. The central ceiling panel of angels leaning over a parapet is in a foreshortened technique called “di sotto in Su” … from below upwards. The realism is amazing … you feel as if these people could step into your life … such immediacy and vigour. The way landscape is revealed is magical. The sky so blue … the distance so inviting. These are real people.
La Camera degli Sposi
The palace rooms
This visit seemed appropriate today as I’m not sure what I’m doing. The excitement has dissipated a little and I feel a little abandoned. I’ll pull my self together.
Escape to myself 
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