Mantua - Mantua and Sabbioneta
Mantua, Italy
15.07.2024
Mantua, also known as Mantova in Italian, is a charming city located in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. With a rich history dating back to the Etruscan civilization, Mantua is a city steeped in culture, art, and architecture.
One of the main attractions in Mantua is the Palazzo Ducale, a magnificent Renaissance palace that was once the residence of the Gonzaga family, one of the most prominent ruling families in Italy during the 14th and 15th centuries. The palace is a fusion of different architectural styles, featuring elaborate frescoes, grand halls, and beautiful gardens.
Another must-visit attraction in Mantua is the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, a stunning circular church built in the 11th century. Its unique design and beautiful frescoes make it a popular spot for tourists and locals alike.
For art lovers, the Palazzo Te is a must-see destination. This 16th-century palace was designed by renowned architect Giulio Romano and features stunning frescoes and sculptures. It also hosts a variety of art exhibitions throughout the year.
Mantua is also home to several museums, including the National Museum of Mantua and the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art. These museums house a collection of artifacts, paintings, and sculptures that offer a glimpse into the city's rich history.
Food enthusiasts will also be delighted by the gastronomic offerings in Mantua. The city is known for its delicious traditional dishes, such as pumpkin tortelli and risotto alla pilota. Don't forget to try the famous sbrisolona, a crumbly almond cake that is a local specialty.
With its picturesque streets, charming piazzas, and beautiful architecture, Mantua is a city that will captivate your heart and leave you wanting more. Whether you are interested in history, art, or simply want to experience authentic Italian culture, Mantua is a destination that should not be missed.
Mantua and Sabbioneta represent two aspects of Renaissance town planning: Mantua shows the renewal and extension of an existing city, while some 30 km away, Sabbioneta represents the implementation of the period’s theories about planning the ideal city. Typically, Mantua’s layout is irregular with regular parts showing different stages of its growth since the Roman period and includes many historical buildings, among them an 11th century rotunda and a Baroque theatre. Sabbioneta, created in the second half of the 16th century under the rule of Vespasiano Gonzaga Colonna, can be described as a single-period city and has a right-angle grid layout. Both cities offer exceptional testimonies to the urban, architectural and artistic realizations of the Renaissance, linked through the visions and actions of the ruling Gonzaga family. The two towns are important for the value of their architecture and for their prominent role in the dissemination of Renaissance culture. The ideals of the Renaissance, fostered by the Gonzaga family, are present in the towns’ morphology and architecture.
Mantua ( MAN-tew-ə; Italian: Mantova [ˈmantova] ; Lombard and Latin: Mantua) is a comune (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2017, it was named as the "European Capital of Gastronomy", included in the Eastern Lombardy District (together with the cities of Bergamo, Brescia, and Cremona).
In 2008, Mantua's centro storico (old town) and the nearby comune of Sabbioneta were declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family between 1328 and 1708 made it one of the main artistic, cultural, and especially musical hubs of Northern Italy and of Italy as a whole. Having one of the most splendid courts of Europe of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and early seventeenth centuries. Mantua is noted for its significant role in the history of opera; the city is also known for its architectural treasures and artifacts, elegant palaces, and the medieval and Renaissance cityscape. It is the city where the composer Monteverdi premiered his 1607 opera L'Orfeo and to where Romeo was banished in Shakespeare's 1597 play Romeo and Juliet. It is the nearest town to the birthplace of the Roman classical poet Virgil, who is commemorated by a statue at the lakeside park "Piazza Virgiliana".
Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes, created during the 12th century as the city's defence system. These lakes receive water from the River Mincio, a tributary of the River Po, which descends from Lake Garda. The three lakes are called Lago Superiore, Lago di Mezzo, and Lago Inferiore ("Upper", "Middle", and "Lower" Lakes, respectively). A fourth lake, Lake Pajolo, which once served as a defensive water ring around the city, dried up at the end of the 18th century.
The area and its environs are important not only in naturalistic terms, but also anthropologically and historically; research has highlighted a number of human settlements scattered between Barche di Solferino and Bande di Cavriana, Castellaro and Isolone del Mincio. These dated, without interruption, from Neolithic times (5th–4th millennium BC) to the Bronze Age (2nd–1st millennium BC) and the Gallic phases (2nd–1st centuries BC), and ended with Roman residential settlements, which can be traced to the 3rd century AD.
In 2017, Legambiente ranked Mantua as the best Italian city for quality of life and environment.
