On one side of the city there are huge walls. If I rotated and faced the other direction in this picture, then I would see the lake that almost fully encompasses Mantova.
On one side of the city there are huge walls. If I rotated and faced the other direction in this
picture, then I would see the lake that almost fully encompasses Mantova.
Here are one of the canals that weave through Mantova. Because there is so much fresh
water surrounding the city there are an abundance of mosquitos (zanzare). My italian
contacts tell me there are more mosquitos in Mantova than in Florence. However, I did
not see a single mosquito while I was there.
The Basilica di Sant'Andrea is quite large and there are many paintings inside.
Here is part of one of the cities 3 main old piazzas. It was about noon on an early september
saturday and there were many people walking around. Mantova historic city center is a great
place to grab a cup of coffe at an outdoor cafe and people watch. Despite so many people
in a small area, it was very peaceful and there were no street beggars like Florence.
A 15 minute walk outwards from the city center and you can arrive at Piazza Te. There
is a spacious museum there with massive courtyards and a mote(sp?).
When you are in Mantova, be sure and try the food specialty tortelli di zucca.
*note - English speakers call this city Mantua, Italians use Mantova
Some other trivia ... Mantova is mentioned in Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet as the place where Romeo is sent into exile for killing Tybalt Capulet in a swordfight.