Guastalla’s Ducal Palace (Palazzo Ducale), is a Renaissance-style palace located in the town of Guastalla.

For many years it was the seat of the noble court, and today it hosts both private and public services. The Palace tells a long and intricate story of sovereignty. Originally built at the beginning of the 16th century as the new residence of the Torello counts,its transformation into a true court began in 1539 with the arrival of the Gonzaga dynasty. The architect Francesco Cipriani, known as Volterra, was entrusted with the works, giving the building its square, porticoed layout. The Palace reached its definitive form only at the turn of the 17th century. In the 19th century, it underwent substantial alterations, and in 1908 it became the private residence of the Mossina family.

Since 2000, the Palace has been publicly owned. Today, the north wing of the piano nobile (the main floor) houses the  permanent exhibition of the “Quadreria Maldotti”, a selection of around fifty paintings from the historic Maldotti Library (Biblioteca Maldotti).

The works are displayed along a chronological path that highlights the collection’s strong ties with the local territory and tradition of collecting. The evocative setting of the Ducal Palace - Guastalla’s most representative building - forms their backdrop. Among the most precious works on display are: “Arria e Peto” (Arria and Paetus) by Luca Ferrari, “Lot e gli Angeli” (Lot and the Angels) by Marcantonio Franceschini, “Santa Caterina di Alessandria” (Saint Catherine of Alexandria) by Giuseppe Bazzani, the priceless 14th-century “Madonna col Bambino” (Virgin and Child) on a gold ground, a watercolour by Francesco Hayez, a small oil on cardboard by Giuseppe di Nittis, and several of the most significant canvases by Antonio Gualdi from Guastalla, as well as the 1930s “Ritratto di Rufo Paralupi” (Rufo Paralupi’s Portrait) by Mazzacurati.

The Quadreria also periodically hosts temporary exhibitions.