The Massaro, whose headquarters were in the Masseria, administered the municipality's assets and was responsible for many tasks, from tax collection to road maintenance, as well as convening municipal councils. Like the Podestà, he served only six months to a year in office and was not required to be from Mantua, to minimize corruption.
The building is connected, through the’Arengario, to the Palace of the Podestà. Inside, a fresco with the cardinal's coat of arms was found, which leads us to believe that some rooms were probably used by Francesco Gonzaga, after he was appointed cardinal.
On the back wall, you can admire a fifteenth-century fresco depicting the layout of Mantua and the surrounding area as it appeared at that time, a point of reference and orientation for the Massaro and a unique historical testimony.
