Castel d'Ario lies north-east of Mincio river, and borders on Bigarello, Roncoferraro, Villimpenta and Sorgà (which lies in Verona territory). It lies about 10 km from Mantova Nord toll gate (highway A22), about 30 Km from Verona and 60 km from Lake Garda.
Following the national road 10 from Mantua towards Padua, you can get to Castel d’Ario between canals and poplar lines.
Its three symbols are the castle, the “Bigolada”, and the legendary driver Tazio Nuvolari. But you can not forget about its fourth one: “risotto alla Pilota”, a wonderful risotto with pork sausage.
Four symbols for a 5,000 inhabitants village.
The castle stands north of the centre, behind Molinella canal (dug during the Hapsburg's domination). Its walls draw a pentagonal perimeter, with a tower at each corner. Inside, between the entry tower and the north tower, the Praetorium stands.
In 1082, Emperor Henry IV gave it as a fiefdom to Trent's bishop. Then it passed within the jurisdiction of Bonacolsi, Della Scala, Gonzaga and, finally, Napoleon. From 1814 to 1866, it became a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; in 1867, it passed to the Kingdom of Italy. The most famous castle tower is called the Hunger Tower; it is the only one still preserving a part of the original embattlement. In 1851, they found there 7 skeletons, one of which enchained. They supposed they could be Francesco Pico della Mirandola and his two sons, who were imprisoned by Passerino Bonacolsi, and four Bonacolsi imprisoned later.
As Castel d’Ario lies in an area rich of water, rice is a typical produce; especially Vialone Nano rice. By the way, today more profitable cultivations are taking its place.
They used to transport rice on boat from rice fields to rice mills (Pile, in local dialect), which workers (Piloti, in local dialect) used to cook it in a special way, together with browned onions: hence the name “risotto alla pilota”, which is served today also with pork sausage. On the other hand, Castel d’Ario hosted several restaurants already during the Gonzaga ages, as it was on an important road from Mantua to Verona. Today, 14 typical restaurants offer their specialities in Castel d'Ario.
The legendary driver and motorbike champion Tazio Nuvolari, as known as “il mantovano volante” - id est, the flying Mantuan -, or Nivola – id est, Cloud, in local dialect – was born in Castel d'Ario in 1892. Lord Howe once said about him: “The world will remember Nuvolari as long as it will talk about motorbike and car races”.