MUSEO DIOCESANO FRANCESCO GONZAGA

In 1974, an exhibition entitled Art Treasures in the Land of the Gonzagas was held in the Ducal Palace in Mantua, presenting a series of hitherto almost unknown masterpieces, mostly from the churches of the diocese. The success of the exhibition prompted its creator, Monsignor Luigi Bosio, to plan a permanent exhibition of these works, brought together in a special museum. The 'Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art', as it was then called, was inaugurated in 1983, collecting artefacts of various kinds - paintings, sculptures, goldsmithery, textiles, illuminated books, ceramics, ivories and even war instruments, no longer in use after the liturgical reform following the Second Vatican Council, or placed in sites that could not ensure their proper preservation. Since its opening, the initial nucleus of exhibits has grown rapidly, also thanks to substantial donations from private individuals, and in parallel the space allocated to them has expanded to become one of the largest museums not only in the city: according to numerous experts, the beauty and preciousness of its treasures, some of which are unparalleled in the world, give it international significance.