Mantua: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 65 - 140 Hotel Rigoletto
 Hotel Rigoletto is located opposite Mantua Station, near the shores of Lake Superiore. It offers free Wi-Fi and air-conditioned rooms with LCD satelli… MoreEUR 45 - 99 Hotel Ristorante Mantova
 The Mantova is located in the central Piazza Porta Giulia, a 2-minute walk from the shores of the Lago di Mezzo lake. The hotel offers free guarded pa… MoreEUR 65 - 140 Hotel Mantegna
 Hotel Mantegna is set in a pleasant building, matching the refined ambiance of the elegant historic centre of Mantua, where it is located, close to th… MoreEUR 58 - 150 Hotel Italia
 Offering attentive service and a central location, family-run Hotel Italia is located on Mantua’s Piazza Cavallotti. It features free internet, and … MoreEUR 70 - 200 Hotel Dante Residence
 Hotel Dante Residence offers modern apartments with private balconies in a quiet are of Mantova. You can take the free shuttle to the city centre.
Ap… MoreEUR 72 - 240 La Favorita
 This newly built 4-star hotel is just 2 km from the historic centre of Mantova and lies within easy reach to main motorways.
The hotel is found in a … MoreEUR 95 - 170 Rechigi Hotel
 Housing a permanent contemporary art collection, Rechigi Hotel is in the heart of Mantua´s historic centre, 200 metres from the Basilica of Sant… MoreEUR 75 - 75 Vista Residence
 Opened in 2004, Vista Residence offers fully-equipped, stylish and contemporary apartment-style accommodation in a modern establishment with all the s… MoreEUR 75 - 130 Residenza La Villa
 La Villa dates back to 1700 and is 2 km from the historic centre of Mantua. Rooms are elegant and large, reception service and interior design are wor… MoreEUR 75 - 280 Residence In Centro
 Offering elegant apartments with wood-beamed ceilings and frescoed walls, Residence In Centro is a Renaissance building in a quiet location in Mantua… MoreEUR 80 - 130 Residence Alcorso
 Residence Alcorso offers independent guest rooms with free Wi-Fi and an authentic contemporary design. It is centrally situated in a historic building… MoreEUR 100 - 190 Hotel Casa Poli
 A palace from the early 19th-century, the hotel has been completely renewed into a minimalistic, stylish design hotel, located just a few minutes away… MoreEUR 130 - 200 Casa San Domenico
 Set within the centre of the historic town of Mantua, this typical noble house has been renovated to offer 4 luxurious Suites in a tranquil area, away… MoreEUR 65 - 120 Agorà Residenza
 Offering spacious suites, attentive service, and a central location in the heart of Mantua’s historic centre, Agorà Residenza is just behind the Ba… MoreEUR 39 - 139 Abc Comfort Hotel Mantova City Centre
 Abc Comfort Hotel Mantova City Centre is in front of Mantova Train Station and a short walk from the banks of River Mincio. Free bikes are provided wh… MoreEUR 44 - 89 Abbazia Bed & Breakfast
 Located in the city centre, Abbazia Bed & Breakfast is just 150 metres from Mantua’s Train and Bus Station. It offers classic air-conditioned rooms … MoreEUR 43 - 99 A Casa Dei Gonzaga
 A Casa dei Gonzaga is a wonderfully restored 18th-century villa located conveniently near to the train and bus stations and just a 10 minute walk into… MoreEUR 60 - 110 Agriturismo Corte San Girolamo
 Corte San Girolamo is a farm estate with an old windmill and monastery. You are walking distance from Lake Superiore and Mantua´s historic centr… MoreEUR 70 - 120 Albergo Bianchi Stazione
 Albergo Bianchi Stazione is set right in front of Mantova Train Station, near Piazza Mantegna and a short walk from the historic centre. Rooms offer a… MoreEUR 90 - 150 Ca´ Delle Erbe Residenza
 Ca’ Delle Erbe is in one of Mantua’s most historic squares, located directly opposite Palazzo della Ragione and its beautiful clock tower. Enjoy m… MoreEUR 75 - 150 B&B Armellino
 B&B Armellino features original ceiling frescoes in this converted 18th-century building, right in the heart of Mantova. The spacious rooms each have … MoreEUR 71 - 240 Antica Dimora Mantova City Centre
 The Antica Dimora Mantova dates back to the 17th century and offers beautifully restored accommodation with modern facilities in a convenient location… MoreEUR 45 - 190 Albergo Meublè Abatjour
 Overlooking Lago Superiore, Albergo Meublè Abatjour is set inside Mincio Nature Reserve, 5 minutes´ drive from central Mantua. It offers free p… MoreEUR 48 - 145 6 Porte Guesthouse
 This brand-new B&B is a 5-minute drive from the centre of Mantua, not far from Palazzo Ducale and Palazzo Te. It offers bike rental, free parking, and… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mantua: Guide
Mantua (in dialect of province of the same name.
Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes created during the accessdate = 2006-09-18 These receive the waters from the Mincio, which descend from [[Lake Garda. The three lakes are called Lago Superiore, Lago di Mezzo, and Lago Inferiore ("Superior", "Middle," and "Inferior" Lakes). A fourth lake, Lake Pajolo, which once completed a defensive water ring of the city, dried up at the end of the 18th century.
Mantua is mentioned in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet. In this Romeo is sent into exile for killing Tybalt Capulet in a swordfight. Romeo subsequently leaves Mantua and returns to Verona when he hears his love, Juliet, has died.
History
The town was founded, probably around 2000 BC, on the banks of the Mincio, on a sort of island which provided natural protection. In the 6th century BC it was an Etruscan civilization|Etruscan village which, in Etruscan tradition, was re-founded by Ocno. The name derives from the Etruscan god Mantus, of Hades. After being conquered by the Cenomani, a Gaul tribe, the Rome|Romans conquered it between the first and second Punic wars, confusing its name with Manto (Greek mythology)|Manto, a daughter of Tyresia (Tiresias). The new settlement was populated by veteran soldiers of Augustus. Mantua's most famous ancient citizen is the poet Publius Virgilius Maro, Virgil (Mantua me genuit), who was born near the city in 70 BC.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Mantua was invaded by Goths, Byzantines, Longobards and Franks. In the 11th century it became a possession of Boniface of Canossa, Marquess|marquis of Toscana. The last ruler of the family was the countess Matilda of Tuscany|Matilde of Canossa (d. 1115), who, according to legend, ordered the construction of the precious "" (1082).
After the death of Matilde of Canossa, Mantua became a Free Imperial City|free commune, and strenuously defended itself from the Holy Roman Empire in the 12th century|12th and 13th century|13th centuries. In 1198 Alberto Pitentino optimised the course of the Mincio, creating what Mantuans call "the four lakes" to reinfore the city's natural protection.
During the struggle between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, Pinamonte Bonacolsi took advantage of the chaotic situation to seize power in 1273. His family ruled Mantua for the next century, making it more prosperous and artistically beautiful. On August 16, 1328, the last Bonacolsi, Rinaldo, was overthrown in a revolt backed by the House of Gonzaga, a family of officials, namely the 60-year-old Luigi and his sons Guido, Filippino and Feltrino. Luigi Gonzaga, who had been podestà of the city in 1318, was elected "People's Captain". The Gonzaga built new walls with five gates and renovated the architecture of the city in the 14th century, but the political situation in the city did not settle until the third Gonzaga, Ludovico I of Gonzaga, eliminated his relatives, seizing power for himself.
Through a payment of 120,000 golden Italian coin florin|florins in 1433, Gianfrancesco I of Gonzaga was appointed marquis of Mantua by Emperor Sigismund, whose daughter Barbara of Brandenburg he married. In 1459 Pope Pius II held a diet in Mantua to proclaim a crusade against the Othman Empire|Turks. Under Francesco II of Gonzaga the famous Renaissance painter Andrea Mantegna worked in Mantua as court painter, producing some of his most outstanding works.
The first duke of Mantova was Federico II of Gonzaga, who acquired the title from Emperor Charles V in 1530. Federico commissioned Giulio Romano to build the famous Palazzo Te, in the periphery of the city, and profoundly improved the urbanistic asset of the city. About Mantua, the poet Torquato Tasso in 1586 wrote:
In 1624 Francesco IV of Gonzaga|Francesco IV moved the duke's seat to a new residence, the Favorita, designed by the architect Nicolò Sebregondi.
In 1627, the direct line of the Gonzaga family came to an end with the vicious and weak Vincenzo II of Gonzaga|Vincenzo II, and the town slowly declined under the new rulers, the Nevers|Gonzaga Nevers, a cadet France|French branch of the family. The War of the Mantuan Succession broke out, and in 1630 an Holy Roman Empire|Imperial army of 36,000 Landsknecht mercenaries besieged Mantua, bringing the plague with them. Mantua never recovered from this disaster. Duke Ferdinando of Gonzaga|Ferdinand, an inept rler whose only aim was to hold parties and theatrical representations, allied with France in the Spanish Succession War. After the latter's defeat, he took refuge in Venice, carrying with him a thousand pictures. At his death, in 1708, he was declared deposed and his family lost Mantua forever in favour of the Habsburgs of Austria.
Under Austrian rule, Mantua enjoyed a revival, and during this period the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, the Scientific Theatre, and numerous Palaces were built.
On June 4 1796, during the Napoleonic Wars, Mantua was sieged by Napoleon as a move against Austria, who joined the First Coalition. Austrian and Russian attempts to break the siege failed, but spread the French thin enough to abandon the siege on 31 July to fight other battles. The siege resumed on August 24. In early February the city surrendered and the region came under French administration.
After the brief French rule, Mantua returned to Austria in 1814, becoming one of the Quadrilatero fortress cities in northern Italy. Agitation against Austria culminated in a revolt which lasted from 1851 to 1855, and was finally suppressed by the Austrian army. One of the most famous episodes of Italian Risorgimento took place in the small valley of Martyrs of Belfiore|Belfiore, when a group of rebels was hung by the Austrians.
In 1866, Mantua was incorporated in Italian Unification|united Italy by the king of Kingdom of Sardinia|Sardinia.
See also:
Main monuments include:
The Raphaelian mannerism. It was the summer residential villa of Frederick II of Gonzaga. It hosts the Museo Civico (with the donations of Arnoldo Mondadori, one of the most important Italian publishers, and Ugo Sissa, a Mantuan architect who worked in Iraq from where he brought back important Mesopotamia|Mesopotamian artworks)
Mantua lies across the Milan-Codogno-Cremona-Mantova. By car, it can be reached through the A4 (Milan-Venice) Highway to Verona, and from there Highway A22 (Brennero Pass|Brennero-Modena). Otherwise, through the State road 415 (Milan-Cremona) to Cremona, and from there State road 10 (Cremona-Mantova).
The closest airport is Verona-Villafranca.
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Mantua". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Duchy of Mantua.
Main sights
The Gonzaga protected art and culture, and hosted several important artists like Leone Battista Alberti, Andrea Mantegna, Giulio Romano, Donatello, Luca Fancelli and Nicolò Sebregondi. Though many of the masterworks have been dispersed, the cultural value of Mantua is nonetheless outstanding. Many monuments furnish examples of unique patrimony in patrician buildings and Italian architecture.
The Palazzo del Capitano, the Magna Domus, and the Castello di San Giorgio|Castle of St. George.
The Basilica di Sant'Andrea di Mantova|Basilica of Sant'Andrea
The Duomo di Mantova|Duomo
The Rotonda di San Lorenzo
The Teatro Bibiena|Bibiena Theater
The church of San Sebastiano di Mantova|San Sebastiano
The Palazzo Vescovile di Mantova|Palazzo Vescovile ("Bishops Palace")
The Palazzo degli Uberti
The Torre della Gabbia ("Cage Tower")
The Palazzo del Podestà
The Palazzo della Ragione with the Tower of the Clock
The Palazzo Vecchio that hosts the museum of Tazio Nuvolari
The Palazzo BonacolsiTrivia
An annual survey of Legambiente (an ecologist movement of Italy) in 2005 declared Mantua the most liveable city of the country. The study was based on levels of pollution, quality of life, traffic of cars, and public transportation, among other criteria.
In William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo spends his period of exile - his punishment for killing Tybalt - in Mantua. Also, in his play Taming of the Shrew, the schoolmaster who pretends to be Lucentio’s father, Vincentio, is from this city.
Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto (Based on Victor Hugo's play Le roi s'amuse) is set in Mantua. Austro-Hungarian authorities in Venice forced him to move the action from France to Mantua.
Since 1996 Mantua has hosted the Festivaletteratura, one of the most renowned literary events in Europe.
Eurobeat artist and Record Producer|producer Dave Rodgers was born in this city.
Neo-aristotelian philosopher Alberto Jori was born in Mantua. Twin cities
Azuchi, Japan
Madison, Wisconsin, United States|USA
Charleville-Mézières, France
Nevers, France
Weingarten, GermanyTransportation
External links
(in Italian)References