Tipologia
DAY 1
A walk in the city
Morning
Mantua is a pedestrian-friendly city: distances are easily walkable , one can reach everywhere on foot. In particular, the so-called Prince’s Path is an itinerary that connects the two extremes of the city centre, from North to South. If you like, you can start from Viale Mincio, on the shore of the Lago di Mezzo, then follow the sidewalk near the wall belt. You can reach Piazza Castello, going through the short Via San Giorgio. This is one of the squares of the Ducal Palace overlooked by the Castle of San Giorgio, home of the “Camera Picta o degli sposi”. The castle can be accessed by the main entrance of the Ducal Palace, the imposing palace of the House of Gonzaga composed by several buildings built up in different ages. After crossing Piazza Sordello and Via Cavour you will find yourself under the porticoes: on the right you will see Piazza Broletto, the Podestà Palace and the amazing Arengario Arch. Then, strolling along the Broletto porticoes you will meet another mainstay in Mantua squares, Piazza Erbe, flanked by a series of houses with middle ages porticoes. The Rotonda di San Lorenzo, whose inside can be visited, and the Palazzo della Ragione with the Clock Tower overlook the square. The porticoes then interrupt at the entrance to Piazza Mantegna where the Basilica of Sant’ Andrea, by Leon Battista Alberti, stands in all of its majesty. Andrea Mantegna, painter at the court of the House of Gonzaga in Mantua, was buried in the Basilica.
The next stop is walking along the pedestrian route in Piazza Marconi and then down to Via Roma. Lastly, by keeping on the left side, you will cross Via Filippo Corridoni and Via Giacomo Matteotti, to reach Via Principe Amedeo.
If you keep walking for about 400 metres you will reach Largo XXIV Maggio, with the Church of San Sebastiano, now the Famedio dei Caduti (Hall of the Fallen) on the left.
If you cross Via Acerbi, on number 47 on the right you can visit the 15th century House of Mantegna. Keep on the pavement on the right, then cross Viale delle Rimembranze up to the corner with the Palazzo di San Sebastiano City Museum overlooking Porta Pusterla.
Lunch in a local restaurant or somewhere else.
Afternoon
The Prince’s Path is completed with the visit to Palazzo Te, the Gonzaga’s suburban residence in Viale Te. The palace hosts the Museo Civico (City Museum) and the International Centre of Arts and Culture, it’s located about 1 km away from the centre of the city and you can reach it by crossing Viale Della Repubblica and Viale Montegrappa. Once the visit to Palazzo Te is finished there is still time to visit another museum in the city and dine in a restaurant in the city or in a farmhouse in the nearby towns.
You can stay in an accommodation facility in Mantua for the night.
DAY 2
Urban trekking
Morning
The morning can be dedicated to a trip on foot or by bicycle to discover the Mantua lakes park that stretches up to the Bosco Virgiliano (Virgil’s Woods). The park is a green oasis just beyond the outskirts of the city, stretching along the shores of the Inferiore lake in which the river Mincio flows.