MANTUA AND SURROUNDING
The thousand and one aspects of Mantua.

The squares of history
The large cobbly pavement and the frame of monumental building give to Sordello Square an amazing aspect crowned by Saint Peter curch, cathedral of Mantua; the episcopal and Bonacolsi-Castiglioni palace, loomed by the "Torre della Gabbia" (the Cage's Tower).
Before it, you found the plenipotentiary palace, the "palazzo del Capitano", Domus Magna and the National Archeological Museum. If you move in Piazza Broletto which is next to Piazza Sordello you find the podestà's Palace, The Communal tower and the snug and charming sottoportico dei Lattonaio.
In the end "Piazza delle Erbe" salon of the city enveloping all the Middle Ages (palazzo della Ragione, San Lorenzo Church), the glorious fifteenth-century (Saint Andrew's Basilica, the exstraordinary Torre dell'Orologio by L. Fancelli) and some ordinary life's evidences: the house of the merchant Giovanni Boniforte da Concorezzo.

The Gonzaga's court
Palazzo del Capitano, Magna Domus, Domus Nova, Basilica Palatina di Santa Barbara, Castello di San Giorgio, Corte Nuova, la Rustica, Cortile della Cavallerizza: è la Reggia dei Gonzaga, la Versailles of Mantua: 500 rooms more then fifteen squares, courtsroof gardens.

The lovely Mozart's theater
Eighteenth-century district as a campus for students: in Accademia's street you will find the Vergelius' National Accademy's palace build in 1797 by Giuseppe Piermarini.







DINING IN MANTUA

All over Mantua and its territory, it is very difficult not to eat good food. On the contrary, almost every restaurants are very appreciated and sometimes recognized at the utmost level of the international parade.
The rural tradition is preserved by some little farms: sometimes little but soon growing as number and quality.
The good food in Mantua is dominated by the first courses: agnolini in brodo (that can became bevr'in vin) maltagliati and beens; tortelli with pumpkin; bigoi with sardelle or with beens and bacon. In the morainic hills you can find capunsèi, bread dumplings. Mantua is famous for risottos: the classic one, alla Pilota (Pilot’s rise) , or with fish, or with pumpkin.
As second dish you can have the Pike in sauce. Cotechino can also go with the krauti. In the menu, of course, meat and fowl.
The desinare mantovano is gladly completed with wines: white, claret, redwins of Morainic hills and Lambrusco both of the left and the right of Po river.

SHOPS AND SHIPS

As in many other cities, it is possible to walk up and down the main street and under the ancient Porches of Mantua: from Piazza Sordello to Piazza Broletto, to Piazza delle Erbe and then along corso Umberto I , via Orefici, via Calvi, via Goito, via Verdi.
The progression of display windows is endless, headed by boutiques and jeweller’s. Centenarian Cafés’ shops, ice-cream parlours, patisseries and delicatessenes. On Thursday the old town is enlivened by the street market and, the third Saturday of each month, the flee market.

Buying advise.
Souvenir and sweet are always appreciated: Anello di Monaco and Helvetia of exclusive Mantuan production, the Torta Greca and the Torta delle Rose.
Salami and sausage: Mantuan sausage (typical), salami , pork-neck-salami, bacon and Cotechino are very good to season the rice, only Vialone Nano.
Grana Padano e Parmigiano Reggiano (cheese), are both Mantua’s typical products. Bakery products: Chisoela, the bread (Risolina, typical). The pickle fruits can be made with apples, pears with a lot of mustard.



MANTUA IS CROWNED BY:

Sabbioneta

A dream of Stone by Prince Vespasiano Gonzaga, the humanist. It has been conserved unbroken and fascinating since the Sixteenth century.

San Benedetto Po

In its name, its own history: Saint Benedict of Nursia, Benedictines and the monasticism. The Abbey was a center of power and culture. It was defined as the “Cassino of the North”.

Castiglione delle Stiviere, Castellaro Lagusello

Castiglione delle Stiviere, along the Mantua’s hills, very close to the Garda Lake, is the Gonzaga’s Court in Castiglione. Saint Louis Gonzaga was a Jesuit, patron saint of youngness. Near, you find Castellaro Lagusello, a hamlet closed in its own medieval walls: its lakelet, the Palace, the Church, the tower.