Mantua City Centre Walking Tour

Mantua is a little breathtaking gem; little known or barely remembered before, loved afterwards. The beauty of Mantua, however, is not only in its magnificent buildings but also in the beautiful squares and the charming alleys, lined with arcades and pretty houses. Mantua is small but spectacular and surrounded by beautiful natural environment where art, nature, cultural heritage, great food and overall good living aim for making life sweeter.

Start your city centre visit in Piazza Sordello. Close to Piazza Sordello is Piazza Broletto, where the magnificent Palazzo del Podestà stands between the Arengario Arch and the civic tower, almost all buildings around the square were built in 13th century when Mantua was a commune, a free city.

Continue the tour and visit Piazza Erbe in the heart of Mantua. Here Matilde of Canossa, according to the legend, ordered the building of the 11th century Romanesque church of San Lorenzo. On three sides the square is lined with porticoes and shops and dominated by the imposing Basilica of Sant’Andrea and the Palazzo della Ragione. One of the most important monuments in Mantua is the great Basilica of Sant’Andrea designed by Leon Battista Alberti in 1472. The first chapel to the left is the funeral chapel where Mantegna was buried when he died in 1506.

The tour ends in Piazza delle Erbe close to Saint Andrew's Basilica.