The Palazzo Ducale di Mantova is the largest palace complex in Europe — 500 rooms, 34,000m² of floor space, courtyards, gardens, a basilica, a castle, and 3 centuries of Gonzaga dynasty art and architecture. The jewel: Mantegna's Camera degli Sposi (1465-74) — the frescoed room where he invented the trompe l'oeil oculus (a painted ceiling opening with putti peering down at you). Also: Pisanello's unfinished tournament frescoes (rediscovered in 1969 behind plaster) and Rubens' huge Gonzaga family portrait.
The route: The museum path takes you through the Gonzaga apartments chronologically — medieval castle (Castello di San Giorgio, where Camera degli Sposi is), Renaissance additions, Baroque galleries. Pisanello Room: Sinopie (preparatory drawings) and fragments of a massive tournament fresco (1430s) — hidden for 500 years, discovered by accident. Sala dei Fiumi: A room decorated with painted rivers. The Giardino dei Semplici: A Renaissance herb garden inside the complex. Camera degli Sposi: Full guide → (book timed entry, 5 min per group).
Practical: Piazza Sordello 40, Mantova. €13 (includes Camera degli Sposi — book on ducalemantova.org). Open Tue-Sun 8:15am-7:15pm. Duration: 2-3h (the complex is enormous). From Verona: 45 min train (€5). Combine: Palazzo Ducale (morning) → Palazzo Te (afternoon, 20 min walk) → tortelli di zucca dinner.