Aldous Huxley called it the most romantic city in the world, and indeed, MANTUI silhouette (MANTOVA) against the background of three lakes circling it, it is undoubtedly captivating. This is where Verdi's opera Rigoletto takes place, here, too, the real, but equally spectacular intrigues, most of which were hatched by members of the city's ruling system for three centuries, one of the richest and most influential families of the Italian Renaissance, Gonzaga. Centre, consisting of interconnected paved squares, it has kept its medieval atmosphere, and two magnificent palaces add splendor to the city: Ducal Palace, where you can see the splendid fresco of Mantegna, showing the Gonzaga family and court and the Palazzo del Te, where the frescoes, made by the brilliant mannerist Giulio Romano, generations of visitors were amused and offended by an interesting combination of strong eroticism and illusionistic fantasy.
Misty sunsets reflected in the lakes and the melodramatic history of the city, this is only part of the truth about Mantua. Apart from relatively minor, pedestrianized historic center, the streets are lined with gloomy buildings from the fascist era and crowded with cars, and the suburbs have been marred by chemical factories, plastic and paper, which are responsible for the pollution of the bottom of the largest of the three lakes, Superior, mercury. Even so, the city center is still beautiful, especially on Thursdays, when it's on Piazza Mantegna, A large market takes place in Piazza dell'Erbe and its streets.
The condition of these streets provoked the Pope's anger, who visited the city in a year 1459 and considered, that Mantua is muddy, lifeguard, infected with malaria and immensely hot. This prompted the accepting Lodovic II Gonzaga to take intensive action. He couldn't do much, to reduce the heat (Even today Mantua can be extremely hot and full of mosquitoes in the summer), but managed to modernize the city considerably: he ordered the squares to be paved, redecorate stores; he hired Mantegna as court painter, and a famous architect, Alberti, commissioned the design of the monumental Church of Sant'Andrea, which became one of the most influential buildings of the early Renaissance. Lodovic's successors continued the tradition of artistic patronage, and even though today the works of art that once belonged to the Gonzaga are scattered all over Europe, there are still many memorabilia from their era in the city.
Arrival and accommodation
Getting around the city is not a problem. The center is a 10-minute walk from the bus and train stations, and buses to Palazzo Te leave from outside the train station (all the lines go there, which stop at Risorgimento or Repubblica; just check the timetable at one of the stops).
The only cheap accommodation is the official youth hostel (•0376/372465). It is famous among opera lovers as Sparafucili's inn (it was there that this hired killer was supposed to kill Rigoletto's daughter), and among tourists it is known for mosquitoes and cold showers. Another option for cheap accommodation is the adjoining campsite. The hostel and campsite are open in the 4th-half of the. X, and you can reach them by bus #2 or #9 in front of Upim in Piazza Cavalotti. Hotels fill up quickly in summer, so it's better to reserve your room well in advance. There are two one-star hotels in the center, where double rooms cost money 28 OOOL: Old Rome, Via Corridoni 20 (koło Martyrs Belfiore Square; • 0376/322100) i Rebirth, Via Conception 4 (5 Min. from the station; 0376/320607). Other hotels are more expensive: Bainchi Station (*0376/321504) i ABC Moderno (»0376/322329) are in front of the station and are requesting 35 OOOL per double room. In the absence of luck in the above hotels, you have to or decide to stay overnight in a distant suburb, or pay much more expensive for another hotel in the center. EPT Office, located around the corner of the Church of Sant'Andrea, (Mon-Sat. 9.00-12.30 and 15.00-17.00, Nd. 9.00-12.30) has a list of hotels.
Gastronomy
Affordable meals, and especially good pizza, Serve: Piedigrotto, Corso Liberta Bella Napoli, Piazza Cavalotti 14, and Da Gigi, Via Oberdan 4 (Corso Umberto block). Cheap, nutritious food is served in canteens, for example. in Al Punto on Via Solferino (close to the station; 12.00-14.30 and 19.30-21.15, closed. Nd.), where lunch and dinner cost 9500L each, and in Self-Service Yirgiliana, Piazza Virgiliana 57, which is a bit cheaper, but only open on weekdays and only at noon (12.00-14.00).
Better restaurants specialize in fancier ones, typical local dishes, such as stewed donkey meat and pumpkin dumplings. You can try them, for example. w Two Cavallini, Vicolo Salnitro 5 (Corso Garibaldi block; closed. II then. VII), where a full meal costs approx. 17 OOOL. Trattoria del Lago, Arche square 5, it's not very nice, but cheaper and serves traditional dishes, such as agnoli in brodo (dumplings in soup, stuffed with cheese and sausage). Interestingly, There is also the macrobiotic Aratro restaurant in the city (8.30-14.30 and 16.30-19.30), Alley Hotel 4 (Via Cavour block).
Evenings in Mantua are nice to spend in one of the two birreria. Oblo Brewery, Via Arrivabene 50, has a great selection of beers and almost as many types of sandwiches, and the Lioncino Rosso, just behind the bridge behind the bridge, has an unpretentious atmosphere.