Museo della Gazzetta

The Museum of the Gazzetta di Mantova presents the history of Italy’s oldest newspaper through printing equipment, historic front pages and archival material. It occupies part of the newspaper’s headquarters, linking the publication’s civic history with its continuing role in the city.

Why it matters

Founded in 1664, the Gazzetta di Mantova is recognised as Italy’s oldest newspaper. Its history intersects with the Gonzaga court, political upheavals and the development of modern journalism. The museum’s collection traces these changes through printed issues and publishing technology.

What to notice

The collection includes a linotype machine used in the paper’s print shop until 1981 and a facsimile of its oldest surviving issue, dated 27 November 1665; the original is held at the State Archive of Modena. Front pages document the period when Fascist control displaced the newspaper’s historic name, which returned after the Second World War. Photographs by Quinto Sbarberi record Mantua in the 1950s and 1960s, including the 1957 Mille Miglia tragedy at Guidizzolo.

Context and history

The Gazzetta began publication in 1664 under the Gonzaga court printers Federico, Pietro and Guglielmo Osanna. Publication collapsed during the French siege of 1796, was revived under Napoleon and returned under the Habsburg restoration. It became a daily in 1866, the year Mantua joined the Kingdom of Italy. After the historic masthead returned in 1946, archival research established June 1664 as the founding date, earlier than the previously accepted 1670. A 350th-anniversary exhibition at Palazzo Te in 2014 led to the permanent museum, which opened in 2015.