After a brief introduction providing some general
information about Lodovico Gonzaga and the reasons for the palace's
interest to the student, Chapter II discusses the location of Revere
in the territory and gives an account of works done there in the
1370s. The third chapter continues consideration of how older
remains conditioned the form of the work of the 1450s. Here,
planning is of primary interest and the courtyard is discussed at
length. It is suggested that its present layout differs from
another proposed earlier using some of the same materials. The
traditional attribution of design work to Luca Fancelli is disputed.
As elsewhere in the palace, two styles meet in the courtyard.
This stylistic discontinuity persisted through the history of
construction of the palace. Chapter IV deals with the application
of stone-carved all'antica detail to the building, and Lodovico's
understanding of the classicizing Tuscan style in the 1450s is
discussed. The general order in which walls were built, interior
spaces were enclosed and the building grew is the subject of
Chapter V. Discussion of the functions of the palace leads to the
question of typological identifications of the building as castle,
town house and country house. The next chapter seeks to consider
contemporary and near-contemporary buildings in Mantua and the
t erritory. The influence of the palace is discussed. The size of
the Mantuan building trade and the many projects of Lodovico
Gonzaga are also indicated in Chapter VI. Among the rewards of
Lodovico's work at Revere were the praises of the building bycontemporaries.
These are discussed in Chapter VII. Lodovico
is also considered, as a patron of architecture: how he used the
visual arts as a means of political expression; how he was
constrained to occupy the role of patron; and how it served as an
exercise of princely erudition. In a real sense, Lodovico created
many of his buildings. A conclusion follows
