In this article you will find the most comprehensive overview of the attractions of Mantua in Italy. Photos of iconic places, excursions, tips and reviews of tourists will also be given here. Mantova primarily attracts travelers in love with the culture and history of Italy.
The city is quite well located. It is the center of the province of Mantova as part of Lombardy. So here you can make independent one-day sorties from Milan, Verona, Padua and even from Bologna or Venice (unless, of course, the Queen of the Adriatic allows you to break out of her arms).
But in Mantua there is no shortage of good hotels. Some of them are located in ancient buildings, which themselves are sights and are protected by the state. The average cost of a 3-star hotel with breakfast is 40-60 euros (3-4.5 thousand rubles).
True, the price mainly depends on the season. The best time to visit this Lombard city, tourists call the off-season (spring and autumn). But not March 18! This day marks the feast of St. Anselm, the patron saint of Mantua. All week around this date in the city there are a lot of people.
How to get there
Coming to Mantua is pretty easy. The city does not have its own international airport, but you can land nearby - in Brescia, Bergamo or Parma. It is easiest to get from Verona by bus or train to Mantua. To get there from other cities, you will need to make a transplant.
The Verona Mantova train travels 45 minutes, and the ticket costs only four euros. Don Leoni Square, where the train station is located, is just a 10-minute walk from the historic center.
Tourists do not recommend traveling by car to the city. The fact is that the passage to most of the old streets of the center is blocked. The car should be parked in special parking lots in the new quarters of the city. Besides the fact that this is a rather expensive pleasure, you will still need to change to public transport.
But if you are determined to enter the city of Mantua (Italy) on an iron horse, take the Brenner highway (A22), which connects Bologna and Verona. The journey will take about 40 minutes. Tourists reveal a little secret: if you have booked a hotel room in the historical center with parking, then you are allowed to enter the down town.
Where is Mantova located
This city was founded in ancient times. If you really want to fully understand the sights of Mantua (Italy), you must at least briefly familiarize yourself with its history. And she was full of interesting events and sharp turns.
The city was founded by the Etruscans and Gauls. They placed their settlement on an island in the middle of the Mincio River. This did not help the Etruscans maintain their independence, and from 220 BC, Mantova has been part of the Roman Empire. The city is developing rapidly.
Around 70 BC, he became the small homeland of the greatest poet of the ancient world, Virgil. Since Mantova no longer fit on an island in the middle of the river, but occupied its banks, it was necessary to come up with some kind of protection for the city.
In the 12th century, medieval engineer and architect Alberto Pitentino created Mincio's artificial dams. Because of this, Mantova was again standing on an impregnable peninsula, this time among artificial lakes. Then two dam roads were built leading to Brescia and Padua. Divided lakes in a hot climate swam, causing residents to suffer from hordes of mosquitoes.
Now Mantova - photos from Italy taken by tourists, confirm this, - looks more presentable than in the Middle Ages. The panorama of the city is beautifully reflected in the Upper, Middle and Lower Lakes.
Medieval History of Mantua
In the 11th century, the city became part of the possessions of the powerful Margrave of Tuscany Boniface III. But soon, from 1115, when his heiress Matilda died, a happy era of republican rule came for the city.
As you know, at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries, Lombardy was shaken by conflicts between Guelphs and Ghibellines. At first, in 1167, Mantova took the side of the Pope and joined the Lombard League.
But after a century, the sympathy of the townspeople has changed. In 1269, the Ghibellines, led by Pinamonte dei Bonacolsi, deposed Guelph Alberto Casalodi and expelled his supporters from Mantua (Italy). The sights of the city, especially the tower houses of the Ghibelline clans and other buildings, are echoes of that era.
The Bonacolsi family played a significant role in the history of Mantua for half a century, and its representatives (Pinamonte himself, and then his descendants Bardellone, Guido and Rinaldo) were invariably elected to the post of people's captains.
Gonzag Board
In the first quarter of the 14th century, the emperor’s power was shaken, and the pope became stronger. In 1328, a rebellion broke out in Mantua, which retained its Gibelline sympathies, incited by the senior family of Gonzaga. Rinaldo Bonacolsi was killed, and his opponent became the ruler of the city. 60-year-old Luigi Gonzaga became the mantle of Mantua.
But after his death, the sons of Guido, Feltrino and Filippino tried to consolidate their influence and abolish republican rule. This was possible only to the grandson of Luigi, Lodovico. He became the first Marquise of Gonzag. Thanks to a strategically advantageous marriage with a representative of the Malatesta clan and the payment of 120 thousand gold ducats to the emperor, Lodovico's grandson, Gianfranchesko, acquired the crown of the Margrave.
Interestingly, Gonzaga, who came to power through murder, later came to be known as well-known philanthropists and patrons of the arts. Many attractions of Mantua (Italy) appeared during their reign, which historians call the golden age of the city.
It should also be noted that the marriage of Francesco Gonzaga (son of Lodovico) with Margarita Malatesta led to the fact that the heirs of the clan acquired a generic disease of bone softening (osteomalacia). Since 1531, Piedmont Monferrat was added to the duchy.
Rigoletto House
There are so many attractions in this city that the question “What to see in Mantua (Italy)?” Should be reformulated. to "How do you manage to visit everything in one day?" So, without delay, go to Sordello Square, which is closer to the cape, on three sides surrounded by the waters of the Mincio River.
This is the heart of the city, and here several sights are brought together at once. But the house of Rigoletto is, rather, a tourist bait than real antiquity. The fact is that Victor Hugo in the play "The King Funs" describes the events allegedly taking place at the Paris court. Giuseppe Verdi first wrote the libretto, exactly following the original. But then he transferred the action of the opera Rigoletto to Mantua.
The townspeople were not slow to cast a bronze monument to the sad jester, placing him in the courtyard of one of the old buildings. Why should a tourist still pay a visit to Rigoletto’s house? The building houses a tourist information center where you can get a city map for free. In addition, art exhibitions are often held there.
Mantova (Italy): Palazzo Ducale
The entire center of the city is entirely included in the UNESCO List of Architectural Heritage and consists of four squares converging into each other. Since the Gonzaga family played a key role in the history of Mantua, a day trip should begin with a tour of its palace. It is located on Piazzale Sordello and on Palazzo del Capitano.
This is a complex of structures, consisting of two parts. One of them, the palace itself, began to be built in the 13th century. St. George's Castle dates back to the early 14th century. The Ducal Palace in Mantua (Italy) is the largest and pompous secular building of the city. The building covers an area of 34 thousand square meters and consists of five hundred premises, not including corridors and covered galleries.
Tourists recommend taking at least two hours to explore this huge landmark of the city. Entrance to the Palazzo Ducale costs 12 euros (900 p.). There is a coffee shop in the lobby, but it is better to bring water with you. The Ducal Palace has many courtyards where you can rest. The palazzo building is very beautiful, the walls are painted with frescoes.
Windows overlook the lake. Tourists warn: do not miss the Archers hall in the New Yard. There is an art gallery where you should pay special attention to the canvas of Rubens, depicting representatives of the genus Gonzaga.
Castle of St. George
A must-see point for organized excursions to Mantua (Italy) is the Chamber of degli Dosi, aka the Suite Room It was built in a more fortified part of the palace, named after St. George, for the couple Gonzag-Malatest.
In 1465, the famous Italian artist Andrea Mantegna decorated the marital chambers with frescoes depicting scenes from courtesan life. The ceiling painting of this room is a real masterpiece. It seems as if the roof is missing, and from the sky cherubs peer into the chambers.
To enter the castle of St. George, a separate ticket is not needed.
Cathedral
Leaving the Ducal Palace in Piazza Sordello, do not rush to leave it. After all, there are other interesting buildings of Mantua (Italy): the Palazzo Bonacolsi, ruling the city to Gonzaga, the bishop's palace and the Tower of the cell.
The latter was named so because it once served as the site of public executions. In particular, on one of the rafters of the tower there was a cage where prisoners were locked up to die from hunger and thirst (representatives of the Gonzaga clan united in their soul both a passion for art and a craving for sadism).
Also on Sordello Square is the Cathedral of Mantua, dedicated to St. Peter. It is difficult not to notice it thanks to the baroque facade made of snow-white Carrara marble. But it is worth going around the cathedral on the side, as you will see the Romanesque masonry. This is because earlier on this place stood a small church of the first centuries of Christianity.
Tourists recommend not only limited to the external inspection of the cathedral. After all, the interiors of the temple are impressive with murals, over which Giulio Romano and the students of Andrea Mantegna worked. The relics of St. Anselm, the patron saint of the city, are stored in the cathedral. Here lie the members of the ruling Gonzaga family - Ferdinand and Ercole.
Church of St. Andrew
This is the largest sacred building in Mantua (Italy). Sant Andrea was first a church at the Benedictine monastery. Lodoviko the Third Gonzaga in 1472 ordered to expand it in order to increase the flow of pilgrims to the great shrine - a vase with the blood of Christ, allegedly collected by the Roman legionary Longinus at Calvaria.
In order for the relic to have a worthy decoration, the ruler of Mantua invited the famous architect Leon Battista Alberti to reconstruct the previously small church building. The idea of the architect was not fully embodied during his lifetime. Later, the church of St. Andrew was rebuilt, and she acquired her dome in the 18th century.
In addition to the holy relic, the temple is also interesting because the remains of the painter Andrea Mantegna lie here. The church is located on the square bearing the name of the famous painter.
Palace of Justice
Near the church of San Andrea is Piazza delle Erbe. The name translates as “grass square” and is explained by the fact that from the Middle Ages to the present day there is a market of spices, fruits and vegetables.
The Palace of Justice (or Reason, as it is pathetically called by the townspeople, the Palazzo del Reggio) also rises. Once a magistrate was sitting in it, important state affairs were being decided. Today, the city museum is located on the top floor of the building. The lower tier, occupied by arcades, served as a shelter from the weather to merchants trading on Grass Square.
But this landmark of Mantua (Italy), the photo of which can be seen in any city guide, is interesting for its Clock Tower.
Torre dell'Orologio
The clan of Gonzaga invited to his Mantua under the ducal protection of not only artists, but also scientists. During the Renaissance, the astrologers making horoscopes were very much appreciated. But Bartolomeo Manfredi not only knew the movement of the heavenly bodies, but was also an outstanding mathematician and mechanic.
A high tower was added to the Palace of the Mind on the main trading square of the city of Mantua in Italy in 1473. And twenty years later, the palace astrologer designed an amazing watch in it.
The uniqueness of this chronometer is not only in that it indicates the exact time from the end of the 15th century to our time. The clock also marks the month and date, the phase of the moon, the zodiac sign in which the sun is now, the location in the sky of some planets.
The oldest church of Mantua (Italy) - the rotunda of San Lorenzo
The ancient sacred cylindrical building was erected during the reign of Matilda Tuscan from the Kanos dynasty (late 11th century). But archaeologists have discovered fragments from earlier eras. Perhaps in this place, in the center of the island in the middle of Minche, a pagan temple was once towered, later converted into a Christian church.
But in the era of the High Middle Ages, the city center shifted to the cape (modern Piazza Sordello). The small church, whose round shape resembles the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, has not been repaired for a long time and gradually dilapidated. In 1579, the Duke of Guiglielmo Gonzaga ordered the closure of the rotunda of St. Lawrence. For some time this landmark of Mantua (Italy) was used as a warehouse. Around her appeared new residential buildings.
And when the roof of the church collapsed, it just turned into a patio. Only at the beginning of the 20th century was the restoration of an ancient shrine. Under a layer of plaster, ancient Byzantine murals of 11-12 centuries were discovered. Tourists claim that the entrance to the rotunda of San Lorenzo is free.
Palazzo Te
This magnificent building is inextricably linked with the name of Giulio Romano, the great architect and artist of his time. His real name is Pippi. He was born in Rome, where he attended the school of Raphael Santi. Under the guidance of his teacher, he worked on frescoes in the Vatican and painted the villa of Farnesian.
Also, the artist completed the unfinished work of Raphael. Pippi, who received his popular nickname the Roman, was invited by Federico the Second of Gonzaga in 1524 to Mantua. Italy then experienced a period of recovery. Raphael was appointed palace architect.
Romano painted murals depicting scenes from the Trojan War and the myth of Diana on the walls of the Ducal Palace. But the main creation of the Renaissance master was the Palazzo Te.
In the 16th century, country palaces became fashionable. And Federico II also did not want to lag behind other brilliant lords of Europe. A small island was set aside among the swamps for the country palace, where the ducal stables had previously been located. Initially, the architect carried out reclamation work, as a result of which the construction site was on a strong island surrounded by clear waters of lakes.
On this site, Giulio Romano and erected the palace of Te, taking as an example the ancient Roman villa. The architect proved himself as a painter, having personally painted the frescoes of the halls: Bolshoi Horse, Giants, Cupid and Psyche. Art historians consider his work in the Te Palazzo the best examples of mannerism.
Anyone can now visit the palace, because it works like a museum. According to reviews, a full ticket costs 8 euros, and a reduced ticket costs six. The palace is now located within the city, south of the center, on Viale Te, 13.
Other sights of the city
Do you have more than one day to explore Mantua? In reviews of Italy, tourists recommend visiting fragments of the remaining ramparts. Then, turning onto Trieste street, you can just wander through the old quarters of the city, wherever the house is a historical landmark.
On Via Pomma, travelers are advised to look into the church of St. Barnaba, which only looks new from the facade in the classicist style. Other walls and the interior give out a 13th century Gothic building.
By the way, Giulio Romano was buried in this temple, but his grave was not preserved. Near the church you can see the house of the famous architect and artist, who lived in Mantua for 24 years.