Mantova Things to Do

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Torre della Gabbia, dating to the 14th century, is over fiftly meters high and has been repeatedly restored. In 1576 an iron cage, in which criminals were displayed to the public, was installed about halfway up.
The medieval Palazzo Acerbi, also knpwn as Palazzo Guerrieri, stands in Piazza Sordello between Torre della Gabbia and Voltone di San Pietro. The battlements, on the top of the palace, were the result of 19th c. restoration which attempted to restore its presumed medieval look to the square.

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Rotonda di San Lorenzo is an circular Romanesque church, which is the oldest church in the town of Mantova, built in 1082 for Matilda of Canossa. In 1579 Guglielmo Gonzaga had the building closed to worship and partially torn down. It was subsequently incorporated into the adjycent buildings. In the beginning of the 20th century the church was brought back to light and the missing parts were rebuilt in a neo-Romanesque style.

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The great Torre dell'Orologio, (Clock Tower), built in 1473, stands to the right of the Palazzo della Ragione. The present look of the tower is the result of a nineteenth-century restoration.
The clock at the center of the tower was originally built by the mathematician Bartolomeo Manfredi, with a mechanism that marked the months and the positions of the stars as well as the hours.
Below the clock, in a niche, is an seventeenth-century statue of the Madonna Immacolata, while the crowning of the Tower, by Antonio Maria Viani, dates to 1612.

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The castle of San Giorgio is important part of the panorama of the city of Mantova, located in the peripheral site overlooking the lakes. It was built between 1390 and 1406 by the engineer Bartolino da Novara. The castle was increased in the middle of the 15th century rebuilding of the central court by Andrea Mantegna and Luca Fancelli.
The most attractive part of the castle is Camera Picta or Camera degli sposi, with the treasure of Renaissance painting by Andrea Mantegna.

Palazzo del Podesta is composed of two contiguous structures, one overlooking the Piazza Broletto with the tall Town Tower - Torre Comunale -, the other overlooking Piazza delle Erbe. There were originally two symmetrical towers but one on the southeast was torn down in the early 1900s.
Palazzo del Podesta, also known as Broletto, dates from 1227 and was subsequently damaged by the fire in 1413 and then restored several times by the Gonzaga, until finally, after 1462 Luca Fancelli was called in.

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Basilica di Sant'Andrea, the largest religious building in Mantova, was designed by Leon Battista Alberti, and is one of the best known Renaissance churches in the world.
The origin of the huge complex is traditionally set in the 9th century, with the construction of a building to house the relic of the blood of Christ, brought to Mantova by Longinus, the soldier who had pierced the side of Christ on the cross.
The building, according to Alberti's ideas, was to be unusual, large enough to hold great crowds and modeled on a heretofore unused type, that of the Etruscan temple.

ITALIANO
mantova è una di quelle città che non finiranno mai di stupirti! o almeno questa è l'impressione di chi come me, nata e vissuta qui, l'ha vista.
Descrivere tutto sarebbe impossibile anche perché le emozioni provate nell'entrare in posti simili sono particolarmente intense!
www.a-mantova.com contiene non solo foto e informazioni turistiche molto apporfondite,ma anche notizie storiche.
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ENGLISH
Mantova is one of those cities that never cease to amaze you...or at least this is the impression she give me one those who have spent their life (even though not long) there!
If have so much to see and words hardly describes the emotions you feel entering one of the sites that make Mantova special.
If are interested in art and history you'll love this city! Mantua was raised to major importance as a European Court, rising artistically, culturally, of religious and military importance. At the Gonzagas Court artists like Pisanello, Mantegna, Perugino, Correggio, Leon Battista Alberti, Luca Fancelli, Giulio Romano, G.B.Bertani, Viani, Rubens, Fetti. Were working and a great number of Renaissance masterpieces came into in their collections. The Palazzo del Podestà (Town Hall - 1227) in Broletto square, the Palazzo della Ragione(1250) Erbe square. The town was embellished with new churches S. Andrea (1472) .... many new on line: http://www.a-mantova.com/

Please visit the web site to have a view what Mantova offer.
Otherwise this are links to some of the most famous places to see
One of the most famous palaces:
http://www.a-mantova.com/Te/inizio.htm

Churches to see:
http://www.a-mantova.com/chiese/chiemn1.htm

...& lots more!

The original layout of the Arco dell'Arengario dates to the early 14th century and it was built to connect the Palazzo della Podesta with the Palazzo del Massaro where the administartor of the City's property resided.
In Palazzo del Massaro there are rooms decorated with heraldic devices of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga.