[1] Situated between the Castello di San Giorgio and the Magna Domus, the Casa Gioiosa was originally constructed as a space for the pleasures and dances of the Gonzaga court.
It was commissioned, likely by Francesco I Gonzaga, IV Captain of the People, who carried out substantial architectural and urbanistic interventions in the area.
[2] In 1423, under the patronage of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga, the Marquess of Mantua, the Casa Gioiosa was repurposed as an educational institution.
Gianfrancesco, known for his appreciation of arts and culture, entrusted Vittorino da Feltre, a renowned humanist educator, with the establishment.
[4] The Casa Gioiosa became a renowned center of Renaissance education, attracting students not only from noble Italian families but also from other regions.