FROM GARDA TO PO a bike lane between art and nature

Cicloturistico

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Cicloturistico

Tipologia

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DAY 1
From Peschiera to Mantua by bicycle

Morning
Leaving from Peschiera del Garda bound to Mantua via the Peschiera–Mantua cycling track (42 km) we recommend you take one of the following suggested deviations.
Deviation 1
The Castellaro Lagusello middle-ages small town: Castellaro Lagusello overlooks a heart-shaped morainic lake and can easily be reached by taking cycling track no.6 heading towards Ponti sul Mincio Monzambano - Castellaro Lagusello - Cavriana (km 20.8).
This itinerary will let you savour the most important natural and historical features of the morainic Mantua hills, like the Archeological Museum and the Romanesque Parish Church in Cavriana, the middle ages village of Castellaro Lagusello, the Ancient Scaliger Castle and the Parish Church in Monzambano, the Castle and the Church of San Nicola in Ponti sul Mincio.
Deviation 2
Volta Mantovana: Palazzo Gonzaga and Giardini all’Italiana. You will have countless spots where to stop for a refreshing break in the many guest houses and restaurants in the area.
Deviation 3
Ancient renaissance water mill in Massimbona near Goito, with nearby church.
Deviation 4
The Santuario delle Grazie in Curtatone, with a chance to stop in typical local restaurants and inns for lunch. Or Rivalta sul Mincio, for a trip through wildlife on the Upper lake on the natural reserve of the Valli del Mincio with the Barcaioli (boatmen)
Deviation 5
National natural reserve of the Bosco della Fontana in Marmirolo. Lunch in a farmhouse restaurant or inn along the way.

Afternoon
Mantua and the lakes:
You will visit the path flowing along the Middle lake of the Parco del Mincio, then carry on along the borders of the three lakes to admire the impressive city profile. You can spend the night either in the city, on a farm tourism guest house in the area or another similar accommodation facility.

DAY 2
A walk in the city

Morning
The second day may start with the visit to the Ducal Palace and to the magnificence of the House of Gonzaga.
Inside the Castle of San Giorgio there is the Camera degli Sposi (Wedding Room), “the most beautiful room in the world”, a masterpiece by Mantegna and a milestone of Western painting. Before you visit the Palace we recommend to try one of the paths outside to better understand the complex structure of the buildings that make up the Ducal Palace.
You can have lunch in an inn or typical restaurant.

Afternoon
The Prince’s Path. This path is wholly dedicated to Renaissance architecture and city planning including visits to the Cathedral, the Basilica of Sant’Andrea, Lungorio and the Pescherie di Giulio Romano, the Church of San Sebastiano, the House of Mantegna, the City Museum and Palazzo Te. You can spend the night either in the city or in the nearby towns, in a hotel or other accommodation facility.

DAY 3
Discovering river Mincio

Morning
You leave from Mantua on a motorboat, carrying your bicycle along, going through the lakes and down the Mincio, through the Governolo basin. Once you have landed at the San Benedetto Po docks you can easily reach the centre of the town by bicycle You can have lunch in a restaurant or farmhouse.

Afternoon
In San Benedetto Po, a recent addition to the renowned circuit of the “Jewel of Italy” cities, now numbering 21, you can visit the 11th century Polirone Monastery that houses also the Museo Civico Polironiano, one of the most important ethnographic museums in Italy. The Santa Maria in Valverde little church, just outside the town, is worth a visit. You can dine and stay for the night in a farmhouse near San Benedetto Po. In the hamlet of Gorgo you may also visit the astronomy observatory and end the day with a look at the starred sky.

DAY 4
Cycling in the Oltrepò

Morning
Trip through the Golene Foce Secchia park, classified as Parco Locale d’Interesse Sovracomunale (Local Park of inter-city relevance) that encompasses the municipalities of Quistello, Moglia, San Benedetto Po and Quingentole, over a surface consisting of the river Secchia’s floodplains up to the point the river flows into the Po. The path is full of interesting spots including the town of Quingentole, with its large, impressive square overlooked by the 18th century Parish Church of San Lorenzo, the Nuvolato di Quistello hamlet with the Giuseppe Gorni ecomuseum, the S. Fiorentino church in Quistello.
The Oltrepò area encloses agricultural structures and untamed natural spaces typical of the river areas, all connected by an impressive system of towpaths on the main banks. We therefore recommend you to end the cycling morning by taking a detour to the “historical” water pump plants like the Mondine and San Siro plants or the Bosone sewers or the siphon tank by which the Agro Mantovano - Reggiano channel bypasses the river Secchia by diving under it. Lunch in a farmhouse.

Afternoon
You will then move Southwards, towards Moglia, visit the Ecomuseum of the Reclamations and then follow the cycling / pedestrian routes (14 km.) along the banks of the channels and of the Secchia river: this is the Museo Diffuso (lit. “Spread over museum”), which includes Moglia in the cycling and pedestrian route “Eurovelo 7”, an Italian and European connection network of arts, history and nature focus.

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Gallerie immagini

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Risorsaturistica Palazzo Te, Mantua Palazzo Te was formally inspired by the ancient rural villa, exploiting the horizontal views in a continuous dialogue between architecture and landscape. On the outside, from 1525 on, Giulio Romano created a design founded on the organisation of a giant order of Doric pilasters supporting a trabeation with architrave, frieze and metope. The low mansion block, with its rusticated external surfaces, is exalted by a courtyard of honour. Inside, Giulio Romano condensed his Raphael/Michelangelo painting culture into a creation of surprising figurative invention that formed the basis of Mannerism. Intense emotions await visitors on a rich and varied route: from the Sala dei Cavalli to the Camera di Psiche, the Camera degli Stucchi and the tumultuous Camera dei Giganti.
Risorsaturistica Church of St. Fiorentino Martire First mentioned in 1059, this is one of the oldest monuments in the Oltrepò Mantovano area. Its position along the old course of the River Po Vecchio places it at the heart of a cultural, visitor and religious route that links the 11C and 12C churches. It is dedicated to St Fiorentino, a soldier of noble birth who came from Burgundy and was martyred in the 5C, confirming a presumed link to France by way of the Cluny monks who ventured as far as San Benedetto in the 11C.
Risorsaturistica Ponti sul Mincio castle The few certain historic records of the castle of Ponti sul Mincio date its construction to between the 12C and 14C. Actually probably built in the 13C, it is attributed to a Scaliger initiative for whom it, along with the castles of Monzambano, Valeggio, Nogarole, Peschiera, Sirmione and others, formed a southwest defence in this area, bordering with the lands of the Visconti and Gonzaga families.
Risorsaturistica San Lorenzo chapel and parish church This monumental church stands more than 30 metres tall and is in fine baroque style. It was built between 1751 and 1754 for bishop Antonio di Bagno, opposite the episcopal villa, which became the summer residence of the bishops of Mantua in the 15C. Two column-bearing lions attributed to Pier Paolo and Jacobello delle Masegne were transferred here from the 15C facade of the cathedral of Mantua. On the counterfacade is a large painting of St Anselm blessing Matilda’s arms, by Francesco Maria Ranieri, also known as Schivenoglia – perpetrating the legend of Matilda as a warrior.
Risorsaturistica Polirone Basilica, San Benedetto Po The structure of the basilica reflects the fundamental architecture designed by the genius Giulio Romano and is a compendium of the salient phases of the history and civilisation of Polirone. Between 1540 and 1545, he rebuilt the old Romanesque and Gothic structures instead of demolishing them, adopting original solutions to harmonise the different architectural styles and creating a refined, coherent interior. The ambulatory and walled columns, still visible in the presbytery, are Romanesque, while the lantern and vaults are Gothic.
Risorsaturistica The house of Mantegna, Mantua This mini-architectural masterpiece dates from 18 October 1476, when the artist created a house that is consistent with his brilliance and great humanist culture. The painter created, ex novo and with total artistic freedom, a two-storey mansion with a square plan and, in the centre, a majestic round courtyard. His antiquarian culture inspired a concrete residential building with a central plan in the language of architectural humanism. Now owned by the Provincia di Mantova, it is a major modern and contemporary art exhibition venue.
Risorsaturistica Ducal Palace, Mantua Construction work commenced in the late 13C, with additions being made over the centuries until 1707. The Gonzaga palace extends over 35,000m², a city in palace form. The most fascinating aspect today is the extraordinarily sophisticated decoration of the building and the exceptional beauty of the diverse nuclei that make up the Palace: courtyards, loggias, roof gardens, palatine churches, oratories and even a castle create an architectural complex that is unique worldwide. From Andrea Mantegna’s Camera Picta to the Raphael tapestries, the Sala del Pisanello, works by Giulio Romano, Luca Fancelli’s Domus Nova and Rubens’ Adoration of the Holy Trinity, visitors are astounded by the immensity of a palace and aesthetic heritage that is one of the finest manifestations of the Italian seignioria culture, in a harmonious coming together of art and architecture.
Risorsaturistica St Andrea Basilica, Mantua – Co-cathedral 12 June 1472 saw the start of work to build this church, beginning with the facade and a prothyrum that opens with a triumphal arch featuring four pseudo-Corinthian pilasters in the Giant order supporting a classical pediment. The foyer, independent as in the prothyrum of the Pantheon, precedes a colossal nave covered with a majestic vaulted ceiling that was probably a reference to the Temple of Venus in Rome. The large side chapels are an allusion to the Arch of Titus and the effects created by the cella of the Pantheon. A lower church with a Greek-cross plan opens beneath the cross vault, the entrances to which are concealed by the large pillars supporting the dome. The church quickly became an acclaimed Renaissance masterpiece, despite the inevitable alterations and distortions.
Tematerritoriale Oltrepò L’Oltrepo mantovano è la zona del territorio della provincia di Mantova in destra Po fino all’Emilia, che pure esercita un notevole influsso (dialetto, mentalità).
Tematerritoriale Alto Mantovano L’Alto mantovano, vale a dire il territorio che si estende dalla pianura alle colline dell’anfiteatro morenico del Garda, offre un paesaggio vario e, talvolta, di incomparabile bellezza.
Tematerritoriale Medio mantovano Il Medio mantovano è la zona del capoluogo con la fascia dei comuni che ad esso fanno corona. 
Tematerritoriale Mantova "... This is a beautiful town and is worth a visit ..." Torquato Tasso (1586). From 7 July 2008, Mantua has become UNESCO cultural heritage.