HISTORY: Mantua (Mantova, in Italian) was one of the settlements founded by the ancient Umbrian people around 2000 BC. It was subsequently inhabited by the Etruscans, who were followed by the Celts, and then by the Romans. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire at the hands of Odoacer in 476 AD, Mantua was, along with the rest of Italy, conquered by the Ostrogoths. Read More [...]
Mantua was retaken by the Eastern Roman Empire around the middle of the 6th century following the Gothic war, but was subsequently lost again to the Lombards. The city was conquered by Charlemagne in 774, and incorporated into the Frankish Empire.
In 1273, during the struggle between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, Pinamonte Bonacolsi took advantage of the situation to seize power of Mantua. The Bonacolsi family ruled the city for the next two generations, but were overthrown on August 16, 1328, by Luigi Gonzaga, supported by the Della Scala family of Verona. The Gonzaga family reigned over Mantua until 1707.
In 1707, the Gonzaga family left the city in the hands of the Austrians. The French and again Austrian domination followed in 1815. In 1866, Mantua became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY: Mantua is located in south-eastern Lombardy, not far from Lake Garda and the border with the Veneto and Emilia-Romagna regions, on the banks of River Mincio, which flows from Lake Garda to the Adriatic Sea.
In the 12th century, the architect Alberto Pitentino, on behalf of the Municipality of Mantua, organized a defensive system by rearranging the Mincio river in order to completely surround the town with four lakes. Three of these lakes still remain today.
The city is located about 39 kilometers southwest of Verona, 67 kilometers southeast of Brescia, 84 kilometers southwest of Vicenza, 101 kilometers northwest of Bologna, 102 kilometers southwest of Padua, 117 kilometers southeast of Bergamo, 140 kilometers southwest of Venice, 148 kilometers east of Milan, 198 kilometers north of Florence and 480 kilometers north of Rome.
TRANSPORT: The closest airport to Mantua is the Verona Villafranca Airport, also known as Valerio Catullo Airport, located about 32 kilometers north of the city. To get from the airport to Mantua, you can take the shuttle bus Aerobus to Verona Porta Nuova railway station, and then the train for a 46 minutes trip. The bus trip to the railway station takes about 15 minutes and a ticket costs 6€, and the train ticket to Mantua costs 4.25€.
By train, you can get to Mantua from Venice in about two hours and a half, from Bologna in about one hour and 45 minutes, and from Milan in almost 2 hours. The cheapest train ticket from Venice costs 11.95€, from Bologna is 8.95€ and from Milan is 11.5€.
LANDMARKS: In 2008, the historical center of Mantua was declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. The cultural value of Mantua is outstanding, the city being known for its architectural treasures, beautiful churches, elegant palaces, and the medieval cityscape.
The most important tourist attractions in Mantua are: Palazzo Te - a fine example of the Mannerist style of architecture, Palazzo Ducale - the famous residence of the Gonzaga family, Basilica of Sant'Andrea, Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle – the Cathedral of Mantua, Rotonda di San Lorenzo, Church of San Sebastiano, Palazzo del Podesta, Palazzo della Ragione with Torre dell'Orologio, and Palazzo Bonacolsi.
MORE INFO: Touristic Portal | Verona Airport | Car Hire | Train Timetables & Fares | Bus Timetables & Fares | Hotels in Mantua | Tours & Activities in Mantua
