The Ducal Palace was first of all a fortification begun in 1125 by the people of Modena, then conquered by the people of Mantua who finished the construction.
In 1332 it was sold to Luigi Gonzaga and then inherited by Ludovico II who in the 15th century entrusted Luca Fancelli, architect and sculptor, with the task of transforming it into a prestigious residence.
In the 18th century the Palace passed to the Hapsburgs, then it was besieged by Napoleon’s troops at the end of the 18th century and remained under French rule until 1814.
From the Congress of Vienna onwards the building remained under Austrian rule. An original character of the Palace is the presence of the high Venetian style fireplaces and the courtyard, with a beautiful well in the middle, surrounded by an arcade with columns and capitals.
