The period of the Austrian domination between 1707 and 1797 was rich with building initiatives both public and private that gave back to Mantova, its lost dignity, at least in part.
San Barnaba was rebuilt and so was the facade of the Duomo (The Cathedral). Under the Empress Maria Theresa the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts was created which was endowed with the "Teatro Scientifico" designed by Antonio Bibiena. Also the imposing Palace of the Counts of Arco dates back to this period.This first phase of the Austrian domination ended with the arrival of Napoleon's army. Heavy duties and new taxes were levied (this habit is hard to die....) and what's more other precious paintings and objects as well as incunabula were taken to France.
After Napoleon's death the Austrian domination was restored and Mantova become one of the strongholds of the famous defensive quadrilateral. Notwistanding the continuous vexations of the Austrian rulers and the bloody repression, the liberal creed was speading more and more. It was in this atmosphere that the capital punishment of the Martyrs of Belfiore took place. They were hanged in the "Valletta di Belfiore" a green area sloping gently down towards the Lago Maggiore (Upper Lake) where lotus flowers grow abundantly. This was one of the saddest but also most glorious pages of our "Risorgimento".
In 1866, at last, Mantova became part of the Italian State. Today's Mantova still keeps the fascination that inspired Virgil's poetry, the severe Medioeval architecture, the imposing Gonzagas' buildings, the high-class of the stately palaces of the 18th Century as well as the painful memories of foreign dominations. Mantova is all that: a small town rich with artistic monuments and an unequalled history.