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Home , Mantua, Quadrilatero, Sabbioneta

SIMPLY WONDERFUL Piazza

Mantua. Simply Wonderful Those who arrive in Mantua are captivated by its unique, timeless allure and welcoming atmosphere. A city which enjoys a breathtaking panorama when viewed from the shores of its lakes. It appears as though it is suspended above the water, a protagonist of an almost surreal landscape, composed of a balance of history, art and nature. Mantua is a city to be visited with ample time, consideration and serenity. The city squares, passageways and cobblestone streets invite the visitor to slowly take in every one of its monuments and historic buildings in order to understand just why it has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with the neighboringneighbouring town of . Mantua weaves history, art and culture together everywhere and it is surrounded by an unparalleled natural atmosphere. Unique and magical places that make Mantua simply wonderful.

2 View of the city Mantua at sunset 3 Sabbioneta

Mantua and Sabbioneta: World Heritage Site

July of 2008 is the month when Mantua and neighbouring Sabbioneta where introduced to the list of World Heritage Sites as a unique point of importance. Both cities enjoyed moments of great design importance during the . Designed and created by the same ruling family, the Gonzaga, two different but complimentary models were applied for each location. In fact, Sabbioneta is a newer city realized by Vespasiano Gonzaga in the second half of the sixteenth century as the ideal capital for his duchy; Mantua instead presents itself as a transformation of an existing city, which changed the ancient urban configuration. Founded during the Etruscan- Roman epoch and modified in the medieval era, then to adhere to the ideals of Renaissance town planning. Two cities, one unique site, a cultural heritage of the past, essential to safeguard and transmit to future generations.

4 Mantua 5 6 HISTORY ART AND CULTURE the AmericanbandIQuittingHeaven dedicatedtheirsong This find has had an impact on the collective imagination beyond the Italian borders so much so that city ofValdaro, found withinthe in anembracewhich were Age, buriedtogether from the Valdaro, “Amanti”, Loversofhumanremains the back to stretches Mantua history of furthest The many othertreasuresdisplayedattheNationalArcheologicalMuseum. a RomanDomus of typical and mosaics walls in perimeter recently found has been this of Romans. by theEvidence it was alsoused today. Thanksposition is located to itselevated Sordello Piazza the Riverwhere an areafromthetoapproximately The EtruscanMantuacovered the MantuanterritoriessuchasForcellointownofBagnoloSan Vito. discoveries in from archeological Etruscan infernaldivinityMantuwithevidence is derivedfromthe name the likely a Greekmystic.Most Manto by founded was city the that believe have us would Legend A citywihmoreanwohousdyearsof history Roman Domus Lovers ofValdaro Skeleton Kiss tothem. along with along which was built in 1256 outside the city walls. city the outside 1256 in built was which Gradaro del Maria Santa was then, asitstillistoday,the location ofthemarket. TheChurchof destined fortheministry ofjustice, overlookingPiazzaErbe, which Ragione, image ofthecityis preservedinitsfresco,della andPalazzo in Cattedra“ of statue the of face thirteenth-century the preserved who Fancelli, Luca by century with fifteenth the in restructured structure del Podestà, walled sixteenth-century a external reinforcementwhereprisoners werepilloried; ThePalazzo is Cage” “the called city’s towers were builtinthisperiod. Thetowerfoundat Acerbi the MincioRiverforminglakesthatsurroundcity.Many of course the modified who 1190 in Pitentino Alberto to due is city the of expansion first The Mantua. for freedom of period a brought Matilda of death The influence. Byzantine the of decoration church containsthewomen’s galleryalongwithtracesoftheoriginal which wasrestoredinthetwentiethcentury.Acircularlayout, The for theoldestchurchfoundincity,RotondadiSanLorenzo and becametheircapital. MatildaoftheCanossa’sisresponsible Around 1000a.d, Mantua cameunderthecontrolofCanossa’s The Medieval Piazza Erbe,PalazzodellaRagioneandPodestà atthe desk”; TheMasseria, period

where the oldest wheretheoldest Virgilio Virgilio Rotonda di SanLorenzo 7 HISTORY ART AND CULTURE 8 HISTORY ART AND CULTURE internally). and the center an exhibition now particular circularlayout, its the whole; completly almost Mantegna, of School façade, fifteenth-painted Erbe, in of Venetian Gothicstyle;theHouse-studioViani, in Piazza Marconi, which preservesthe of urbanrenaissancearethe Important examples Palazzo SanSebastiano,theDiocesan MuseumandtheofPalazzoDucale. of Museum City at the visible is still of this city. Evidence of the art collections the constitute that finds classical and artists contemporary famous by works with enriched was court the time this At Romano, createdforthefishtrade. century sixteenth of serviceasthe city, includingplaces of the regality the enhance to destined was and city the of part oldest the outside just set is building Romano. Each from theisland ofTeisPalazzowork Opposite Tewhichrisesfromthe garden ofdelights,Giulio TempleofSaintSebastian of the building Sant’Andrea andthe the restoration of the designed as LeonAlberti,who “Bridal Chamber”aswell Battista and embellish the city, including the and embellish Mantua. of Marquis LudovicoIIRenovatioUrbis the of rule the Under flowering artistic admirable the and extension urban new a for responsible were They The Gonzaga The RenaissancinMantua Temple ofSanSebastiano becamelordsofMantuain1328,afterdrivingouttheBonacolsifamily. , who painted for the Marquisthe for the painted , who Casa delMercanteBoniforte-shop inPiazza Home-workshop ofTheMerchantBoniforte began. Many artists worked to modernize to worked began.Manyartists (not open (not Romano of Giulio House during the Renaissance expansion. duringthe Pescherie Casa delMantegna Basilica ofSant’Andrea , byGiulio designed Camera Picta Basilica of with Home-workshop ofTheMerchantBoniforte 9 HISTORY ART AND CULTURE 10 HISTORY ART AND CULTURE Palazzo Te,facciatasullepeschiere was builtinhonor ofEmperorCharlesV, who hadgrantedthetitleofDukeFrederick. for banquetsand dinners andtheChamberofGiants, withits amazingaudioandvisualeffects, which fine the to dedicated Cavalli, dei horses bredbythe Gonzaga,theHouseofErosandPsyche toaccommodatethemostdistinguished guests Sala the houses building the 1535, and 1525 between built Romano, Giulio of masterpiece Absolute restoration. intellectual find could prince the where dell’honesto Ocio , palace the was II, Frederick by built tell theemblematicmomentsofMantuan civilization.PalazzoTe, now preservedatHamptonCourt (London). Thepalaceis home totheCityMuseum, withworksthat the up make that paintings nine the housed II, Francesco by century residences private the lie city the and representativeservicesofthe Gonzaga. ThePalazzodiSanSebastiano,builtintheearlysixteenth of end opposite the At tapestries. Flemish woven of cycle complete the preciouscabinetryworks, theAppartamentodiTroiabyGiulioRomanoinNewCourtandRaphael’s Camera degliSposiintheCastleofSt. George, theStudioofIsabellad’EsteinCorteVecchiawithits the Mantegna’s , of cavalleresco Ciclo the with Hall the as such centuries sixteenth and fifteenth complexhas the century, theseventeenth until the of masterpieces eras. Houses different the of taste the aesthetic adaptations to changes and Mantua undergone of the Lords of residence Official Europe. in and galleries, courtyards, squares, gardens,oneofwhichishanging, isamongthemostextensive corridors by connected buildings numerous rooms, magnificent its with of view, isthePalazzoDucale, The Gonzagalived inprestigiousresidences.Theoldestandmostcomplex, fromanarchitecturalpoint The residencesofthePri Particolare delbanchettonobile Palazzo Te.CameradiAmoreePsiche Palazzo Ducale, Camera degliSposi by Mantegna, Trionfo diCesarebyMantegna, 11 HISTORY ART AND CULTURE 12 HISTORY ART AND CULTURE dates backto 1926. renovation ofthePiazzaVirgiliana whichis a publicgardenwith abustofthePoet. Thecurrent monument the for responsible was period ruling French The troops. ’s by occupied and Republic Cisalpine the by annexed was fact,Mantua centuries,in nineteenth and eighteenth the him.Between to dedicated Andreas Hofer, condemnedand executedattheCittadelladiPorto (nowCittadella), wherethereisagarden of frescoesthesixteenthcentury. In1810thebuildinghostedNapoleonic trial ofTyroleanhero furniture andfurnishingsaswell beautifulpaintings. ThegardenfacestheZodiacRoom withaseries degli Studi. In neoclassicalstylethereisthePalazzod’Arco (1782-92), now a museum, which houses antique public library,thesocalledTeresiana insidethePalazzo Maria Teresaisalsoresponsiblefor thefoundingof old WolfgangAmadeusMozartconcert heldaconcert. only beenopenedafewdayswhenthethenfourteenyear created byarchitectAntonioGalliBibiena. Thetheatrehad the the AccademiaNazionaleVirgiliana. Afewyearsbefore, founded byEmpressMariaTheresaofAustria,todayitis the centerofRoyalAcademySciencesandFineArts, became and enlarged was Accademico Palazzo the 1775 In the dominationofAustriaandFrance. With thefallofGonzagafamily, Mantovapassedunder The FrenchandAustridomination Teatro ScientificodelBibiena had been built, a small baroque jewel Scientifico hadbeenbuilt, asmallbaroque jewel Teatro Precious booksoftheBibliotecaComunale Teresiana Detail ofinteriordecoration Palace oftheChamberCommerce. in 1914andthereorganizationof municipal buildingsinPiazzaErbe,completed1944. the of and decoration building on the Chiassi, Andreaniworked and sculptor,standout.In home ofTazio addition tomanyprivatehomes,suchasthe Nuvolari in via of works eclectic the buildings, twentieth-century the Among as wellGaribaldiandVictorEmmanuel II,honoredwiththeirplaquesonthewalls. in 1822historic period the During this documents oftheprotagoniststimeareondisplay. to them.In the city Museum a memorialandmonument has dedicated city Empire. Thethe Hapsburg the against plotting for executed Belfiore) were of 1851 and1855, agroupofMantuanpatriots(theMartyrs Between remain fromLunetteFossamana,FrassinoandtheFortofPietole which military structures one tovisitthe allows city around the path andLegnago.Awinding of Peschiera, fortresses with the , together ofthe system defensive and becamepartofthe structures fortified built Mantua rule, Austrian under Risorgimento, the of period the Throughout From theItalianunificatioowentieh century ofPalazzo , theweapons, clothes,personalitemsand was opened, it hosted famous actors andartists famous hosted it opened, Teatro Socialewas Lunetta Frassino Aldo Andreani, aMantuanarchitect Aldo Palace of the ChamberofCommerce , locatedinthetownofVirgil. 13 HISTORY ART AND CULTURE 14 ART AND FAITH Basilica diSantaBarbara Madonna delleGrazie. the armorSanctuary of Renaissance fromthe of collection and anexceptional Gonzaga of house the of silver and gold of works tapestries, precious and enamels French paintings, of masterpieces hosts in theDiocesan art arepreservedMuseum Francesco Gonzaga inPiazza Virgiliana. also The museum sacred of examples valuable visible. Importantand are monastery Benedictine the of cloister the of Alberti, remains it, inPiazzaLeonBattista Behind Mantegna. of chapel funerary the monastery, hosts Benedictine the of church ancient an on built basilica, The Juvarra. Filippo by designed dome the of inclusion in 1765withthe by LeonBattistaAlbertibegan in1472andended architecture, designed is the city of the center of 1565.Atthe Antegnati extraordinary organofGraziadio the holds of sound for everytype acoustics optimum to enhance architect Giovanni century. Thechurch, Battista Bertaniinthesecondhalfofsixteenthdesigned Mantuan the by built and court the of functions religious Williamfor Duke by commissioned was Palazzo Ducale,the of the Inside themonumentalcomplex Baroque. In thelateGothicmedievalfacade withthecurrentformsoflate 1756 NicholasBaschierareplaced century. sixteenth the in Romano Giulio by again restored and century fourteenth the in fire a after Of note, in the historic center, the XI century XI the historic center, in the note, Of Numerous churchesinMantuahavenotableartisticandarchitectural valueaswell. Religious buildingsandacredart Duomo , a masterpiece of Renaissance Basilica ofSt.Andrew,amasterpiece (Cathedral of St. Peter), which was restored was St. Peter),which of (Cathedral Basilica PalatinainSantaBarbara of JesusGermanManufacture,1562 Jewel withthemonogramofname of JesusGermanManufacture,1562 Jewel withthemonogramofname The SacredVessels competition ofpavementandstreetartistswhopaintreligious subjectsusingchalk. international an with Sanctuary the of front in place takes Grazie delle Fiera ancient the Ferragosto On it atthesametimeasbuilding’s creation. animal bythegraceofVirgin. ThisisactuallyaNilecrocodile thatradioactivecarbonanalysisputs offering afterhavingbeensavedfromtheaggressionof an left as tradition, aboatman to popular of made statues life-size according which, has crocodile stuffed a hangs ceiling the structure On century. seventeenth the from papier-mâché wooden the faith: popular the of example vivid a contains it Mary fortheendofplague. InLombard Gothicstyle, alteredanddecorated inthesixteenthcentury, di which is south of the city, built by Francesco I Gonzaga in 1399 as an offering to the Virgin the is pilgrimage of destination Another The relicisexhibitedtothefaithfulandcarriedinaprocessionthroughcityonGoodFriday. Roman soldierwhopiercedChristontheCross, collectedthebloodandbroughtittoMantua. Sacred Vessels, thephialscontainingPreciousBloodofChrist. Legend hasitthatLonginus, the The BasilicaofSant’Andreahasalwaysbeenaplacepilgrimage becauseithousesinitscryptthe Pilgrims inMantua , in the village of Grazie Grazie of village the Grazie,in delle theMadonna of Sanctuary Sanctuary oftheMadonnadelleGrazieandPavementArtistsatwork 15 ART AND FAITH 16 NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT Natural ReserveVallidelMincio nannuferi, hibiscus andswampwaterchestnuts. landscapes of enchanting beauty are a maze of canals and small ponds where one can find water lilies, river and spontaneous bends.These stages by thedifferent of valued, as evidenced natural wetlands the Lake Inferiorebegins the bank of right On the lotus flowers.Theareaispartof the projectEDEN2009. Graziedi Rivalta, summer, and inthe sedges reeds, area of an expansive with dotted in northernItaly, is areas wetland of towns the to life , gives and Mantua.The Curtatone the towards flow gentle its in River, Mincio The The NaturalReservesandParks 1190 atthehandsof into threelakes: and extends Superiore, MezzoandInferiore.datesback widens The watersystemto Mincio River.river hasbeen astronglinkMantuaandthecity, times there between Around the plains the ancient river Po.Since great in the ends it Mantua, until of city the to next marshy stretches area with into cultivated and villages fortified numerous by characterized hills, Mantua morainic of the slopes gentle River the from LakeGardatothePothrough Park. Theparkstretches Mincio the of establishment the 1984 by since protection under been has which and devotionalimportance of Lake river Mincio,anoutletGarda, The courseoftheisanarea ​​ From GardtohePhroughParcdelM incio Alberto Pitentino Mincio Nature Reserve Nature Mincio whoremovedthemarshes. Natural Reserve ofVallazzaNatural where the river creates one of the most important most the of one river creates the where great natural, historical, cultural . It is a vastcomplex . Itis museum documents theinterdependenceandbalance betweenhumanlifeandthe swamp. of River Museum Crafts.The The heartoftheMincio isRivalta,youcanvisit theEthnographic where white stork. some ofwhichdateback 150 years. Since1994 it hasbeenthecentreforreintroductionof walkinItisapark for apleasant thecountryside. garden in which toadmireexotic andnativetrees, Swan onthelake Centro ParcoBertone views and the tiny lake, it creates a perfect atmosphere a perfect tiny lake,itcreates views andthe at thecentreofMincioReserve. With its stunning of GoitotheBertonePark is family. InMunicipality the the of reserve a hunting was forest the Gonzaga when which wasbuiltbyVincenzo century palace I sixteenth offers an exceptional variety of plants, is a charming late- covered thePoValley. Attheheartofforest,which which ago years thousand a few of forests ancient the remains of is what Reserve Bosco Fontana,it National kilometersfromthecityis rare Afew species. ducks, swansandmanyother Warblers Squacco,Kites marsh Herons,Coots,Egrets fauna ofthe typical the of presence the is amazing vegetation this to Next Natural ReserveofVallazza 17 NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT 18 NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT built byVespasian Gonzagaand finally Sabbioneta, the idealcity. UNESCO. Alongthisstretchis thebridgeofboatsatTorred’, withtheTorrazzo bike trailis47kmlong, itconnectsthetwocitieswhichhave been declaredWorldHeritageSiteby Fontana, della Bosco as such Borghetto, Castellaro Lagusello interest and Peschiera, a cultural fortified town of on . stops The many allows it and terrain flat mostly on km provincial roadleadingtoGrazie di Curtatone. TheMantua-Peschiera biketrailextendsforabout43 The scientific of variety phenomena. Cycleroutesdepartfrom thecitytotouristdestinationsofprovinceandLake Garda. a with experiment playfully to devices interactive with equipped path a Scienza, where youcanenjoyapicturesqueview ofthecity.OnshoreslagodiMezzoisalsoParcodella designed by , is found. From here you can continue the trip to the century sixteenth the where Cittadella, of shore the right the on and Belfiore, of gardens The routetravels through of thethreelakes. city alongtheshores around the The priniciplepathisthepedestriantrailthatwinds exceptional naturalenvironment. the differentculturalcenters, andanequallyextensivenetworkofcyclingroutes, immersedinan Mantova offersanetworkofcyclingrouteswithinthecity, whichmakesitpossibletoquickly reach Cycling Mantua–Peschiera biketrail is approximately 7 km long, starting at the lago Superiore and follows the Mantua-Grazie biketrailisapproximately7kmlong, startingatthelagoSuperioreandfollows until it reaches the left bank of lago Superiore and the of lagoSuperioreandthe Periurbano untilitreachestheleftbank Parco Bosco Fontana Rocca diSparafucile, Sabbioneta-Mantua Sabbioneta-Mantua Porta Giulia, Bosco Fontana Lotus flowers guided excursions by boat and barge. From the north is the is north the From barge. and boat by excursions guided aquaticenvironment through and the landscape to knowthe opportunity a special The lakesoffer floods. Eventoday,thecityiscloselytiedtoitslakesandpublicparks thatstretchalongthebanks. its up economy, a way makes of trade and commercial that traffic, but also water a danger to the the public because of with the frequent relationship close for the a vitalelement military defense, of a means been has water centuries, character. Overthe very a had has Mantova inception its From By water and the navigate can one south the from Rivalta; and Grazie of villages the and Belfiore of thesymbols thecity. the plant imported from the East by the naturalist Anna Maria Pellegreffi in 1921 and has became one the admire to Superiore excursion onlago the miss not Do setting. in aspectacular dishes local the taste to guests services, permitting catering offer on boardandalso bikes load to you allow boats companies. Some shipping different moon, availablefromthe full the There aremany during periodsof offers oftouristexcursionsandtourswithexpertguides,especially to FerraraandVenice. towards the Po River, where one can arrive at the valley of Governolo and then on Governolo andthen can arrivevalleyof Po River,oneatthe the where lago Inferioretowards River trip lotus and August, in July flower blossoms Lago Superiore where one can reach one where Lago Mezzo di 19 NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT 20 MUSIC AND POETRY sixteenth centurypoetry. began hisworkimitating theLatin verses of Virgil andlater becamethegreatestexponent ofmacaronic Folengowho love thecityhasto thegreatMantuapoet. wasalsothehomeofpoetTeofilo of thepoet, thePiazzaVirgiliana, theforestandmonument namedforhimgiveevidence ofthe Genuit. Themedieval statueofVirgilio inCattedraatthePalazzodel Podestà, theRenaissanceportraits Western cultureandherecalledhis MantuanoriginsinthebeginningoffamousepitaphMantuaMe 70 BCbeginsMantuanliteraryhistory withthebirthofVirgil. Thegreatest poetwasapillarof Domingo asRigoletto. TheRAISymphonyOrchestrawasconductedbyZubinMehta. RAI, livebroadcasted aworldwideviewingofVerdi’s drama whichwasshotinMantua, withPlacido 2010, September In Mantua. of court the in set Piave, Maria Francesco by libretto the in found , the GonzagaandmusiccontinuedthroughhistoryasGiuseppeVerdi, in1851, composed Il Leopold, describedthisway: “Today Isawthe mostbeautiful theatre inthe world.”Thelinkbetween Wilhelm. YoungMozart, in1770,theBibienaTheatre, performedin Mantua whichhisfather, for theBasilicaofSantaBarbarawhichalsoreceivedAntegnati’sprodigious organprovided byDuke such as patrons ofgreatmusicians The loveformusic, secularandsacred, hasalwaysbeenverystronginMantua. TheGonzagawere Baroque musicandisconsideredthefirst truemasterpieceinthehistoryofopera. notes ofOrfeo. TheworkofClaudioMonteverdimarksthetransitionfromRenaissancemusicto first the sang Rasi Francesco tenor Ducale, Palazzo the of hall a in when, 1607 24th, February was It City ofMusicandPoery Palazzo delPodestà,Virgilioincattedra Messe Mantovane Palestrina whocomposedthefamousNineMesseMantovane Basilica diSantaBarbara,Antegnati’sorgan dynamism andflight,12daysbefore hisParisrelease. speed, extolled which 1911, 6th, April on Mantua in Manifesto” “Futurist famous his presented who The “Mantovano Volante “ evokes the futurist movement and its founder Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, jersey. yellow inseparable overalls andhis goggles, gloves, helmets, as such personal Memorabilia his awards and the Carmelino displays del Chiesa in the The Taziowhich ishoused Nuvolari Museum, . Grand Prixof andthe Grand Prixof Tripoli, two Grand Prixof the VanderbiltCup the over to car racing competing in over three hundred races. He won two Targa Florio, two Mille Miglia, He began his careerasamotorcyclistbutpassed for dynamismandspeed. his propensity emphasize to in order or “Nivola” “Mantovano Volante“ the named was d’Ario in1892,and born inCastel was Another sportingheroisTazio Nuvolari Tour ofItaly,winningtheopeningstageMilan-Mantua. the nickname “Human Locomotive”. Learco Guerra was the first rider to wear the pink jersey in 1931 Guerra machine. In and the1902,cyclist body the of boththe are linked tospeed Mantuan sports City ofspor wasborn in Mantuawhich,thanks to hisracing technique andgreatphysical strengthearned , an Italian ofinternational autoracing legend acclaim. He Learco 21 SPORT 22 FOOD AND WINE Mostarde andcheese Mantua is the only place where only place is the Mantua Gonzaga royalchefservedonfresh salad,raisinsandpinenuts. and cappone with polenta allaStefani luccio insalsabothserved are plates second among the delicious Particularly or lentils. potatoes mashed pistà of steamedpork. ofMantuaispork: puntèl atypeThestaple Ravioli, allapilota and risotto order to taste order to many Trattorieorrestaurantsavailablein one mealinofthe to haveatleast Vistors areobliged yet simplewhilemakinguseofallthenaturalresourcesMantuahas tooffer. dining, Fine dishes. popular with Gonzaga royaltraditionmixed roots inthe has its Mantuan cuisine City ofDinng increasing recognition andthe are enjoying which morainehills Mantua the of wines and red white are the there it off To top Monaco, atypicalChristmassweetofGerman ancestry. as theAnellodi aswell century in Mantuaduringthe eighteenth invented bySwissconfectioners Sbrisolona withmostardamantovana campanine. isthetraditionalcake which aredelicious di meleDessert beaten pork fat with garlic and parsley served on steaming polenta andcotechino served onsteamingpolenta beatenporkfatwithgarlicandparsley , made with corn flour, almonds and lard, but don’t forget to taste the taste to forget don’t but lard, and almonds flour, corn with made , tortelli di zucca di tortelli , riso”,servedwith whose namecomes“pilarinidelwithlocalsausage , traditionally served on ChristmasEve,agnoliinbrodo served , traditionally Mantuan Lambrusco DOC Grana Padano are produced, both of andParmagianoReggianoboth areproduced, . salame mantovanowithgarlic, Salame andLambrusco from the old recipe from the recipe old fromthe stracotto d’asino stracotto , which was Elvezia, which servedwith , meat filled meat , gras and Piazza Erbeintheevening of thischarming Renaissance city. heritage, Mantua requiresastayofseveraldaysin inthe cozyatmosphere order toimmerse yourself monumental and cultural its of richness the to producers.Due from the directly products typical fresh pastriesandother morning you canbuycheese, on Lungorio where adjacent tothePescherie month.The market weekly is heldon Thursdays in the oldtownandfarmersmarket is onSaturday the of third Sunday and antiques,every curiosities is anantiquemarket,forloversof outdoors. There IV Lungorio of garden the Novembre, Piazza Lega Lombarda, Piazza forrelaxinganddining Virgiliana, cityisperfect the gardens, Valentini Roda, Joseph by gardens Belfiore New and Old and Virgilian the Bosco the Park, Periurbano the Park, Belfiore the gardens, and parks many its With an ongoingdialoguebetweentheancientbeautyandmodernityof culturallanguages. of focus are the landmarks city,which and exhibitions, allyearround,withintheof conferences events, shows,concerts, hold in Mantua associations and cultural cuisine. Institutions local delicious the markets andtaste visit the squares, shopping, and town in palaces concerts attend theatre, the to lakes, go the places, walkalong meeting the inhabitants, attend know its Living inMantovameansto unexpected historicalgardens. and beautiful and the palaces the inside peering another piazza to another, fromone to portico one from details, hidden the all discove to city the walk should Mantua, one familiar with deeply To get City olive Farmers MarketonLungorioandPescheriebyGiulioRomano 23 CITY OF THE GOOD LIFE 24 CITY OF THE GOOD LIFE for experimentation, research andscientific animation. Environment Science TechnologyandResearch)interactive workshop foreducationalpurposesanda space the Barberini; Battista Giovan by decorations lavish and Geffels Frans painter Flemish the significance; global of century twentieth the with collectionsofancientcoinsand medalsoftheGonzagaandMantuaaswellMantuanpaintingsfrom to theChamber; theMuseoNumismaticoandGalleriad’ArtedellaFondazioneBanca AgricolaMantovana hall;the the in the and libraryofinternationalvaluewith auniquecollectionofsurgicalinstrumentstheeighteenthcentury; century mansion; theAccademiaNazionaleVirgiliana, animportant culturalinstitutionhostinganarchive fifteenth- a of example an Mantua, of patron twentieth century; theCasadellaBeataOsannaAndreasi, Historical Museumofthe FireBrigade, uniqueinItalywhichhostsequipmentfromtheeighteenthto original gears of the fifteenth-century astronomical-astrological clock by Bartolomeo Manfredi; the dell’Orologio andtheMuseodell’OperawithaccessfromPalazzodellaRagione, whichpreservesthe and finally the of Egyptianartefacts, theGonzagacollectionofcoinsandmeasuringsystemsfromsixteenthcentury, Collection, ararecollectionofMesopotamianartandculture, theAcerbiCollection, animportantcollection Museum, whichhousesexhibitsfromtheMantuaterritory; thepubliccollectionsofPalazzoTe: theUgoSissa There aremanymuseumsandculturalsitesthatrequireavisit. Amongthem, theNationalArchaeological The Museums Madonna dellaVittoria , formerly a church with remnants of Mantegna decorations currently exhibited Madonna dellaVittoria , formerlyachurch withremnantsofMantegnadecorationscurrentlyexhibited in the Chamber of Commerce holding a large collection of works belonging belonging works of collection large a holding Commerce of Chamber the in Arti e Arte Galleria of modern art with paintings by ZandomeneghiSpadini;by andthe paintings with art modern of Collection Mondadori with frescoes by the Galleria MuseoValenti Gonzaga withfrescoesby the National HistoricalMuseumoftheFireBrigade , (Mantua MASTeR, (Mantua National National Torre Torre and theworld countries fall. ArtistsfromvariousEuropean arts, inthe of theisheld theatre, research,andlanguage Segni d’Infanzia pulsating withcreativityandenergy. of and atmosphere a lively creating art andentertainment, arecombinedwith Literature andpoetry days Five reading. love who world. writers andartistsfromaroundthe with city and squaresofthe palaces in the performances those for events cultural national For almost twenty years the innovation, imaginationandexpressiveabilityoftheartists. to linked art is the center: historic the of squares splendid the and theatres in the and performances In springthe over thirtyyearswitharichprogramofshows. January to April, the important, from most for Mantuanevents. Amongthe are subjects and sport gastronomy, leisure also handicrafts, music, entertainment,artandliterature,but exhibitions. Dance, theatre, events many cultural to are home city squares andparksofthe year, palaces, of the periods In different Events throughouheyear spaces of variouspublicand privatecultural institutionsin Mantua. d’Arte e of di CulturaPalazzo Te the organized by exhibits known for importantartandculture is also Mantua Mantova FilmFest Mantovadanza perform , an international festival of art and theatre, aimed at children and all those who love who at childrenandallthose aimed of artandtheatre, , aninternationalfestival Mantova Jazz festival, cityfor a famousjazzinthe event that hastakenplace inshowsandworkshops. Festivaletteratura event is held, it is dedicated to dance with competitions, workshops competitions, with to dance is held,itdedicated event , of Palazzo and exhibition the MuseumDucale, othermuseums

Festivaletteratura is held in September. It is one of the most anticipated most the of It isone in September. isheld readings, literary readings, Centro Internazionale Centro 25 CITY OF THE GOOD LIFE 26 CITY OF THE GOOD LIFE Exhibitions atPalazzoTe Mantovadanza Mantova Medievale Gran PremioNuvolari Tempo d’Orchestra Theater events inMantua event Fest, MantovaMedievale,E...stateChristmas Mantova Teatro,Filmaandthe countries. Tempod’Orchestra, different with shows,culturaleventsandgroupsofartistsrepresenting Pushkin (Russia).InJune,the (Germany), Weingarten e Paderborn (Japan), Omihachiman-Azuchi (), (U.S.A.), Madison (), Mézierès Charleville and Monferrato, Casale Bressanone, with status city of rowing Italian Championship city, the of the streets the through Nuvolari In addition toculturaleventstherearemany occasions forsportlovers, such astheGranPremio are only some of the many reasons to visit and live in the city allyearround. Lucimanyreasonstovisitandliveinthe Mantova Mille areonlysomeofthe , a regulated race forhistoriccars,the , aregulated Mantova & Friends & Mantova Segni d’infanzia Palazzo Te,Fruttiere Minciomarcia festival is held, it is dedicated to the Twin Cities the to dedicated is it held, is festival , a non-competitive traditional race traditional non-competitive a , . The city of Mantua enjoys twin of Mantuaenjoys . Thecity 27 CITY OF THE GOOD LIFE 28 CITY OF THE GOOD LIFE Castello diSanGiorgio Palazzo di SanSebastiano Piazza LegaLombarda Palazzo Ducale, cortiledella Cavallerizza Palazzo Te, CameradeiGiganti Sunset onthelake Casa delMantegna Palazzo Ducale,GiardinodeiSemplici Palazzo Te 29 CITY OF THE GOOD LIFE

MANTOVA LAGO MILANO di garda verona

AUTOSTRAD A A4 Castiglione A A21 PADOVA delle Stiviere VENEZIA

AUTOSTRAD MANTOVA

A A13

FIUME PO PIACENZA AUTOSTRAD AUTOSTRAD Sabbioneta

A A1 A A22

AUTOSTRAD I N FORM AT IO

BOLOGNA

HOW TO GET THERE • By Air The nearest airport is located in Villafranca of Verona, 33 kilometers from Mantua. The main domestic flights are planned from , Bari, , Cagliari, and . International flights are planned from Vienna, Paris, Moscow, Monaco, Frankfurt, Cologne, Amsterdam and London. www.aeroportoverona.it Other airports nearby are: Montichiari, Brescia (60 Km), Parma (60 km), Bologna (100 km), Bergamo (100 km), (185 Km). • By Train Mantova is 45 minutes from Verona and 55 minutes from Modena when taking theModena – Verona route and 2 hours from Milan which passes through the provincial capital’s central railway stations of Milano - Cremona - , - Padova The station is a few minutes walk from the historic centre. F.S. - Trains - Train Station - Piazza Don Leoni, 14 Information, reservations and ticket purchases - Call Center: 892021 - Train Times: www.trenitalia.com • By car Mantua can be reached via the: exit Mantova Nord 4 kilometers from the centre of Mantua or Mantova Sud at 11.5 km from the centre, Autostrada A4 exit at Desenzano, Sirmione, Peschiera, Verona Sud Autostrada A1, exit Parma Est, and Modena. • Campers Equipped rest areas: Sparafucile - Via 1 / A (Mantova) - info: www.aster.mn.it City of Curtatone - via della Fiera (Grazie di Curtatone) - info: www.camperclubmantova.it • Tourist bus Area CHECK POINT BUS TURISTICI - Strada Cipata (Mantova) - info: www.aster.mn.it

TOURIST INFORMATION IAT Mantova Piazza Mantegna, 6 - 46100 Mantova - T. 0376 432432 - www.turismo.mantova.it - [email protected] Infopoint Casa del Rigoletto 30 Piazza Sordello, 23 - 46100 Mantova - T. 0376 288208 - [email protected] M A P OF T HE C I Y

Palazzo Ducale, Biblioteca Comunale Casa della Beata Chiesa di Santa 1 Castello di San Giorgio 7 13 Madonna della Vittoria 19 25 e Basilica di Santa Barbara Teresiana Osanna Andreasi Maria del Gradaro Museo Archeologico Museo Storico Nazionale 14 Museo Diocesano Casa di Giulio Romano 2 Nazionale 8 dei Vigili del Fuoco Francesco Gonzaga 20 3 9 Palazzo della Camera Duomo di Commercio 15 Palazzo d’Arco 21 Casa del Mantegna 4 22 Tempio Casa del Rigoletto 10 Rotonda di San Lorenzo 16 Teatro Sociale di San Sebastiano Museo Numismatico 5 Accademia 11 Palazzo della Ragione 17 e Galleria d’Arte 23 Palazzo 31 Nazionale Virgiliana e Torre dell’Orologio Fondazione BAM di San Sebastiano Teatro Scientifico 12 Galleria Museo 6 del Bibiena Basilica di Sant’Andrea 18 Valenti Gonzaga 24 Palazzo Te di Mantova Photographs from the Mantua Archives Culture Area, Tourism A thank you for the use of these images to: and Promotion of the City • Vittorio Boni • Cristiano Giglioli Via Frattini, 60 • Gianfranco Levoni 46100 Mantova • Antonio Lodigiani T. + 39 0376 338627-680-645 • Roberto Merlo • Nicola Romani F. + 39 0376 2738072 www.comune.mantova.gov.it • Archivio Festivaletteratura • Archivio Mantovadanza, L’Officina delle Arti [email protected] • Associazione per il Parco • Associazione Segni d’Infanzia • Associazione Mantova Medievale Info and insights • Associazione Amici di Palazzo Te e dei Musei Mantovani www.cittadimantova.it • Biblioteca Comunale Teresiana www.mantovasabbioneta-.it • Camera di Commercio di Mantova • Centro Internazionale d’Arte e di Cultura di Palazzo Te www.palazzote.it • Comitato Amanti di Mantova www.museodellacitta.mn.it • Comune di Sabbioneta • Confcommercio Mantova • Consorzio Agrituristico Mantovano • Diocesi di Mantova • Fondazione Mantova Capitale Europea dello Spettacolo • Mantova Film Studio • Mantovafortezza • Mantova Corse • Museo Tazio Nuvolari • Museo Diocesano Francesco Gonzaga • Orchestra da Camera di Mantova • Parco del Mincio, Bams photo Rodella • Provincia di Mantova • Società per il Palazzo Ducale • Soprintendenza per i Beni Storici, Artistici ed Etnoantropologici di Brescia, Cremona e Mantova

Edited by Alessandra Moreschi and Culture Area, Tourism and Promotion Città del Comune di Mantova.

Cover photo by Roberto Merlo - Mantova in volo.