Giulio Romano (Giovanni Pippi, c. 1499–1546), who arrived in Mantua as Raphael's heir and spent the rest of his career here as Federico Gonzaga's court artist and architect, designed his own house on the street that now bears his name. The house is a private residence and closed to the public, but the façade is visible from the street and worth seeking out.
The exterior demonstrates Giulio's Mannerist approach on a domestic scale: classical elements are present but slightly wrong — the rusticated quoins are too rough for the refined entablature, the keystones are exaggerated, the rhythm is deliberate but unsettling. It reads as a sophisticated joke for educated viewers. The house is part of any serious architectural tour of Mantua and is marked on most city maps. Via Giulio Romano runs close to Piazza delle Erbe and is easy to combine with a walk through the historic centre.