Ducal Palace

Address and contacts

Via Gonzaga 16 - 42016 Guastalla (RE)
Phone 0039 0522 839763 - Tourist Information Office
uit@comune.guastalla.re.it
Guastalla Cultura e Turismo

Opening times

The ground floor is open from 8.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 9.30 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. and 3.30 - 6.30 p.m.; other days upon reservation.

Entrance fees

Free entrance. On the occasion of temporary exhibitions, the entrance to the main floor of the palace can require the payment of a ticket.

How to get there

By car
Motorway exit A22 (16 km); A1 motorway exit (25 km); road connection: Main Road 62 Verona-Mantova-Parma; Main Road 63 junction for Reggio Emilia, Province Road with Novellara, Province Road with Reggiolo.

By train
From the central railway station of Reggio Emilia TPER Reggio-Guastalla route.

By bus
From Reggio Emilia, piazzale Europa: Bus no .87.

Historical notes

The Palace has a long and intricated history of domain. It was the "new" residence of the Torello counts and then the headquarter of the Gonzaga's court. The building of the palace is bound to the name of Francesco Capriani, Il Volterra, who designed the quadrangular shape of the court with arcades all around. Tommaso Filippi ends the building works in 1570 with the addition of the italian garden, the Gallery of marbles and the decoration by Bernardino Campi. This palace welcomed poets and artists as Tasso, Guarini, Guercino and Campi.
Going back to the original aspect of the palace is not easy because of the consolidation works that took place in the XIX century. It became then the private residence of the Mossina family in 1908.
It has been recently purchased by the Municipality and today, after major structural consolidation works and post-earthquake restoration works, it houses a Museum (still to be defined) and spaces for temporary exhibitions on the first floor and, on the ground floor, the Atelier of the Ducal Palace, the Tourist Office, Public Relations Office and private services.