After leaving tourist-swarmed Florence, Mantova (also called Mantua) was a breath of fresh air. It still has all the charm of an old Italian city, but without all of the people.  Known as the city of lakes as it is surrounded by three man made lakes, Mantova’s restricted size has kept it small and community focused.  However, this doesn’t mean it lacks the history of other Italian cities.

Mantova’s history is directly connected to the Gonzaga family who commanded the area from 1328 to 1707 – 100 years longer than the Medici family in Florence. 

Their main residence, the Ducale Palace looks unassuming from the outside, but the maze of over a 1000 rooms and courtyards are filled with beautiful ceiling frescos, wall tapestries, and grand rooms.  Since the Gonzaga family sold off all of their furnishings as they fell into ruin, the rooms are empty, but the frescoed ceiling and architectural elements of the palace are beautiful on their own. 

Mantova is also the hometown of Virgil, and a nice large park on the edge of the old town is dedicated to him. Additionally, Monteverdi got his start as a string player at the ducal court. Professional musicians from all over Europe travel to Mantua to perform Monteverdi’s works and study his repertoire.  

Mantova has two main festivals – the Trame Sonor Chamber Music Festival each May, and Festivaletteratura (literature festival) in early September. While the literature festival is only in its third year, it already has welcomed international authors and integrated the festival’s authors into the bookstore community. These festivals bring the town together to celebrate the cultural history and future of the city.

Weekly markets have been a community staple of Mantova forever. During the weekends, San Domenico Square hosts a small farmer’s market on Saturdays and a craft market on Sundays. Historically these grounds were a famous fish market. As the only public commission of Giulio Romano’s work (he was the architect of both the Palazzo Ducale and Palazzo Te), Pescherie di Levante represents the history of the community coming together through markets. This market was famous in its time because of the fresh water, thus fresh fish, the Rio canal brought through the area. 

The largest market in the town is held every Thursday. This flea market, which mainly sells clothing and shoes, takes over the whole old town part of the city. People rifle through the racks and bins to find that unique piece to add to their collection.  Good prices and variety make this a popular event every week.

Mantova has three churches in the center of the old town. 

1. Standing across from the Palazzo Ducale, the pure white marble facade of the St Peter’s Cathedral catches the light and everyone’s attention. 

2. The 15th century Renaissance Sant’Andrea Basilica includes a complete trompe l’oeil ceiling painted to appear as a coffered ceiling. Over a hundred meters long, this is one of the largest churches in Europe and is also where Monteverdi premiered his most famous pieces.

3. The 10th century Romanesque Rotundo di San Lorenzo was hidden behind residential buildings until the early 1900s. Now, the small rounded brick structure sits in the middle of one of the busiest palazzos in the city.

During the weekend, the National Gallery of Historical Firemen (Galleria Storica Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco) opens its doors to the public.  They house a vast collection of firetrucks and other official vehicles from the 18th to the 20th century. The informational plaques focus on the advances in technology that the vehicles have made over time.  There is also a whole room dedicated to toy fire trucks and a large collection of military uniforms. 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy Mantova was to just walk through the old town at night. The energy of the al fresco dining coupled with the historic cobble stone streets and glowing buildings felt like a scene from a movie.