Historic Centre of Mantua, Mantua, Italy

Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole. Mantua is noted for its significant role in the history of opera and the city is known for its several architectural treasures and artifacts, elegant palaces or palazzi, and its medieval and Renaissance cityscape. It is the town to which Romeo was banished in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It is also the nearest town to the birthplace of the Roman writer, Virgil.

Mantua traces stem from the Roman period. It was renovated in the 15th and 16th centuries - including hydrological engineering, urban and architectural works. The participation of renowned architects like Leon Battista Alberti and Giulio Romano, and painters like Andrea Mantegna, makes Mantua a prominent capital of the Renaissance.

In 2007, Mantua's centro storico (old town) and Sabbioneta were declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site.

References:

User Reviews

Sara Negro (6 years ago)
Bello

Federico Salvi (6 years ago)
Everything was nice and clean

Alon Arad (6 years ago)
The hotel is located across the railway, 15 minutes from the center. The facilities were quite poor and the staff were unhelpful and unfriendly. Breakfast was fine

Sharad Agnihotri (6 years ago)
Good place under 3* category hotels opposite Mantova train station

Maria Pia Natale (7 years ago)
A good Place in front of the rail station, good price and a huge breakfast included. I really liked it. The room was very clean and confortable.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright diannlroy.com

Historic Site of the week

Jan Hus Memorial

The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.

Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.

Historic Centre of Mantua

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Jan Hus Memorial