What to visit in Mantua: the most beautiful places to see

Mantua is a human-scale city, culturally active (it was a capital of culture) and is immersed in a splendid natural setting. The B&B Hotel provides you with many travel ideas to discover how beautiful this city is, with its monuments and artistic heritage. Discover our tips on what to visit in Mantua.

What are the most important monuments to visit in Mantua?

Mantua, an island-city surrounded by lakes created by the Mincio River, saw its greatest development between the 12th and 18th centuries, under the rule of the Gonzagas, who enriched it with works by artists like Leon Battista Alberti and Andrea Mantegna, making it a true Renaissance triumph. Some architectural masterpieces were lost during the period of Austrian domination (Mantua, like Milan, Trento, and Trieste, was included in the Lombard-Venetian Kingdom) and between the two World Wars, but the main ones have remained intact to this day. Here is a list of the city's main buildings and monuments.

• San Giorgio Castle: born for defensive purposes (as shown by its towers and drawbridges), it was transformed into a residence and embellished with works and frescoes. It houses, in the Ducal Palace wing, the splendid Camera degli Sposi (Bridal Chamber) with Mantegna's frescoes, a masterpiece of perspective art.
• Piazza delle Erbe: the heart of the historic center, it is home to the Palazzo della Ragione, the Tower with the ancient astronomical clock, and the city's oldest church, the Rotonda di San Lorenzo. 
• Cathedral of San Pietro Apostolo: it preserves the incorrupt remains of Saint Anselm, the city's patron saint. It is located next to the Bishop's Palace.
• Basilica of Sant’Andrea: it houses a reliquary with earth imbued with the blood of Christ.
• Palazzo Te: with Rubens' paintings, its secret gardens, its frescoed and decorated halls, and, above all, the majestic Sala dei Giganti (Hall of Giants), in which the visitor is at the center of the scene, it is one of Mantua's unmissable destinations.
• Mincio River and three lakes: they form a semicircle around the city, of which they are an integral part.
• An interesting way to visit Mantua is by water, on a boat: the Lago superiore (Upper Lake), in particular, fascinates with its rich lake flora and fauna that find shelter there. A walk along the Mincio, on foot or by bicycle, can be truly romantic.

What to eat and where to stay in Mantua?

Mantua's solid culinary tradition has as its main ingredients pumpkin (tortelli and gnocchi), Vialone Nano rice (risotto alla pilota, risotto with frogs or river shrimp), and almonds (Torta Sbrisolona).

To visit the city and taste its typical dishes, our hotel in Mantua is an excellent solution for staying in the city: recommended for its excellent quality/price ratio, it is located in a quiet but convenient position for reaching the main attractions.