This old fortress was converted to an elegant ducal residence by the Marchese of Mantua, Ludovico II Gonzaga, who commissioned the Tuscan architect Luca Fancelli to execute it.

The demo-ethno-anthropological museum is council-owned and was established in 1983. Its core themes are the river, the surrounding area and the local people. It is a living museum with a constant focus on research and a busy programme of encounters centred on the river which have culminated in two publications on shipmills.