Mantua's Pescherie di Giulio Romano restored by local entrepreneurs

A group of entrepreneurs in Mantua has invested €250,000 in restoring the Pescherie di Giulio Romano, a 16th-century fish market designed by Giulio Romano in 1536. The restoration, ongoing since 2016, aims to recover the monument's original rusticated facade and reestablish the city's connection to the Rio waterway. The Fondazione delle Pescherie Giulio Romano, led by President Paolo Corbellani, coordinates the project, with total costs exceeding €1 million. The first phase created a terrace-pontoon restoring access to the Rio; the second phase focuses on the loggia and upper hall. Key investors include Guido Rovesta of Finservice S.p.a., siblings Roberto and Katja Acquaroli of Sapiens S.p.a., Angela Picozzi of Castor Fashion (along with Fabrizio Ruozzi, Andrea Citterio, and Claudio Dinunno), and Alberto Iori of Abaco S.p.a. The foundation describes the public-private partnership as a replicable model for cultural heritage preservation. The Pescherie were originally built for fish commerce and feature two arcaded porticos with rusticated arches and an attic with rectangular windows. Vice President Maria Elena Levoni notes that Giulio Romano, as urbanist for Federico II, designed the site as a convergence of art, beauty, economy, and water in Mantua's heart.