Archive of Gonzaga correspondence (1563 - 1630)

The main objective of the project is to provide users with a substantial body of letters in which an account is given of the relationships of the Dukes and the Gonzaga court with the Mantua envoys in various Italian cities and European courts. The letters examined to date are the following: Bologna, Brescia, Corte Cesarea, Florence, Milan, Naples, Padua, Parma, Piacenza, Rome, Venice, Verona. We inform the user that only a part of these letters has been published in a series of studies entitled Fonti, repertori e studi per la storia di Mantova - Sources, directories and studies for the history of Mantua (Link to PDF series).

The available letters, mainly dealing with art history topics related to collecting and patronage of the Gonzaga family of Mantua between 1563 and 1630, also provide other information that can be tracked down in the database under the following headings: Arti (Arts), Devozione (Devotion), Letteratura (Literature), Mercato (Market), Musica (Music), Palazzo (Ducale Palace of Mantua), Scienze (Sciences) and Spettacolo (Entertainment).

The file classifications are as follows: Abbigliamento e accessori (Clothing and accessories), Animali (Animals), Armi e accessory (Arms and accessories), Arredi (Furnishings), Architettura e Urbanistica (Architecture and Urban planning), Biancheria (Linens), Carrozze e accessori (Carriages and accessories), Curiosità (Curiosities), Disegno e Incisione (Drawing and Engraving), Farmacopea (Pharmacopeia), Finimenti per cavalli (Horse tack and trappings), Giardini (Gardens), Gioielli (Jewellery), Materiali (Carte, Legni, Metalli, Pellami, Pietre e Terre, Tessuti, Vetri) (Materials - Papers, Woods, Metals, Leathers, Stones and Earths, Fabrics, Glass), Pittura (Painting), Scultura (Sculpture), Strumenti scientifici (Scientific instruments), Strumenti musicali (Musical instruments), Suppellettili liturgiche e reliquie (Liturgical furnishings and relics), Suppellettili profane (Non-religious furnishings) and Testi (Texts).

The archive aims to be a tool for study and verification and is updated constantly. The project welcomes the participation of archivists, researchers, scholars and institutions.