This large arcade, built in 1584-1586, is an articulated brick building. Strangely, they did not construct it to connect different parts of a building nor two palaces; it just had to host the duke’s archaeological collection.

Above all marble sculptures he bought after he came back from the Spanish royal court in 1578: busts, statues, epigraphs and bas-relieves coming from Rome and Venice collectors. The collection also included hunting trophies coming from Prague imperial court (1589).
In 1773, the Austrians brought all the marbles to Mantua, into Palazzo dell’Accademia – id est the palace of Virgilian National Academy -; in 1774 they seized all of the movable goods of Sabbioneta palaces.

In 1915 the Academy gave the Municipality of Mantua the sculptures, which ended up in Palazzo Ducale. Today they have been restored, and you can admire them in Galleria della Mostra – id est the exhibit arcade – in Palazzo Ducale itself. 

Galleria degli Antichi is decked with frescoes by Giovanni and Alessandro Alberti (1587).