Mirandola’s historical monuments

Mirandola is a wonderful city, in fact there are some great monuments, such as:

The Pico CastleThe castle was restored in 2006 although over the centuries the original structure has been subject to substantial demolitions including the big-tower (Torrione) that was built under Giovan Francesco Pico II in 1500.

Today the castle houses the Civic Museum of Mirandola. The exhibits consist of paintings, coins, prints, furniture, documents and archaeological findings that tell the history of Mirandola, its institutions, and several portraits of prominent members of the Pico family, such as Giovan Francesco Pico della Mirandola (1469-1533).

The Palace of LawPalace of Law, in late Gothic style, is a very old palace(It was built in 1300).This palace has got three floors.This palace is called “Of the Law” because in ancient times the mayor administrated justice there.

Bergomi PalaceThis palace was built in the 15th century, and the name “Bergomi” comes from another Italian city, Bergamo. The superior part of the palace has got, on the first floor, some big double lancet windows sormounted by an oculus, while the overhead order is composed by monofores.This sector of the building is in good conditions, while the lower one has undergone some changes.

The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore This collegiale church has an interior with three naves and vaulted ceilings and holds some valuable paintings and frescoes. The bell tower is 48 meters high, with the lower part dating from the late 15th century.

The San Francesco ChurchThis is the most ancient church of the City and one of the first Franciscan churches in Italy, it is the Pantheon of the Pico,burial place of the family and still housing four magnificent tombs fixed to the wall in the northern aisle.Among the others are the tombs of Giovanni Pico’s parents and of his brother Galeotto. Also Giovan Francesco Pico was buried below the floor of the church.

This church, originally staffed by the Jesuit order, was commissioned by Alessandro I Pico when he was invested as Duke, and construction began in 1621 and was completed in 1689. The facade remains incomplete and presents a simple brick front. The interior however has elaborate baroque decorations in its single nave. The interiors include an almost Churrigueresque wooden altar and pulpit. The main altar also has a polychrome marble altarpiece of the Circumcision by Innocenzo Monti. By the late 18th century, the expulsion of the Jesuits from the dukedom was followed soon after by the Napoleonic invasions. The convent became hospital in the 19th century and now houses the city library, the archives and other offices. The church roof partially fell in after 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes and has been undergoing restoration.

The Jesus Church

Most of the monuments in Mirandola were damaged in 2012 because of the Earthquake