Skip Verona: Mantova, City of the Gonzaga Between Lakes and Renaissance Art

Mantova: where the Renaissance is reflected in the water

Verona draws millions of visitors for Juliet's balcony, the Arena and its Shakespearean aura. But Verona has also become synonymous with endless queues, tourist restaurants and a historic centre growing ever more like an open-air shopping mall. Just over forty kilometres away, Mantova offers an equally extraordinary artistic heritage in a unique setting: a Renaissance city surrounded by three artificial lakes that give it an almost fairy-tale appearance.

A Renaissance capital

Mantova was for four centuries the capital of the Gonzaga duchy, one of the most powerful and cultivated families of the Italian Renaissance. The Gonzaga transformed this provincial city into a European cultural centre, commissioning works from Andrea Mantegna, Giulio Romano, Leon Battista Alberti and many others.

- Palazzo Ducale: with over 500 rooms, it is the largest royal palace in Europe. The Camera degli Sposi by Mantegna, with its illusionistic frescoes, is one of the pinnacles of Renaissance art.

- Palazzo Te: Federico II Gonzaga's suburban villa, decorated by Giulio Romano with the spectacular Sala dei Giganti, is a masterpiece of Mannerism.

- Basilica di Sant'Andrea: designed by Leon Battista Alberti, it houses the relic of the Most Precious Blood of Christ, brought to Mantova by the centurion Longinus.

- The three lakes: the Mincio river forms the Lago Superiore, Lago di Mezzo and Lago Inferiore around the city, creating a unique landscape where Renaissance architecture and nature merge.

The Camera degli Sposi

If there is one reason to come to Mantova, it is Andrea Mantegna's Camera degli Sposi in the Palazzo Ducale. This small room, frescoed between 1465 and 1474, is considered the first example of total illusionistic decoration in the history of Western art. The walls and ceiling create the illusion of an open space, with the Gonzaga family portrayed in scenes of daily life and the celebrated oculus on the ceiling that simulates an opening towards the sky. In Verona you would queue for hours for a selfie under a fake balcony; in Mantova you can contemplate in relative peace an authentic masterpiece.

Pumpkin tortelli and Mantuan cuisine

Mantuan cuisine is one of the most distinctive in northern Italy, a bridge between Po Valley tradition and Renaissance influences. Tortelli di zucca — pasta filled with pumpkin, apple mostarda and amaretti biscuits — is the signature dish: a surprising balance of sweet, savoury and piquant that you will find nowhere else quite like this. Also try the risotto alla pilota (with crumbled salamella sausage), the stracotto d'asino (braised donkey) and the torta sbrisolona, the crumbly almond cake.

For an authentic experience, Trattoria Due Cavallini has been serving Mantuan cuisine for generations, while Ristorante Ochina Bianca offers a more contemporary take on traditional recipes. Osteria dell'Oca, just outside the centre, is the favourite spot for the Mantuans themselves for a traditional dinner.

The lakes and the Parco del Mincio

In summer, the lakes of Mantova are covered in lotus flowers, creating a surreal landscape of oriental inspiration in the heart of the Po Valley. The lotus blossom between July and August is a unique spectacle, best seen by boat or by bicycle along the embankments. The Parco del Mincio offers cycling and walking routes along the river, from Peschiera del Garda to the Po, through a landscape of rice paddies, marshes and riverside villages.

How to get there and when to go

Mantova is connected by train to Verona (30 minutes), Milan (2 hours) and Bologna (1 hour). By car, it sits at the junction of the A22 Brenner motorway and the A4 Milan–Venice. The best months are March–June and September–November. The Festivaletteratura in September is one of Italy's most important cultural events and transforms the city into an open-air literary salon. Mantova's winter is foggy but atmospheric, with the lakes wreathed in mist and museums nearly deserted.