12 Amazing Things to Do in Mantua Italy (One Day Itinerary)

Mantua Italy, also known as Mantova in Italian, is a city in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It’s a fascinating historic city to visit, and there are so many wonderful things to do in Mantua. I recommend spending at least one full day in Mantua or more, if you have more time to travel slowly.

When Justin and I visited Mantua, Italy, it was part of our barge cruise itinerary on La Bella Vita by European Waterways. This Italian river cruise took us through many magnificent destinations between Venice and Mantua, like Ferrara, Adria and Chioggia.

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If you’re not traveling to Mantua on a river cruise, it’s really easy to visit on your own. I suggest adding it to your northern Italy travel plans. Mantua is positioned between Venice and Bologna, not too far from Florence. Much like nearby Venice and Verona, Mantua isn’t visited quite as often by tourists, so you shouldn’t have an issue being able to enjoy peaceful walks around town. You might have some attractions in town almost completely to yourself, too!

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About Mantua, Italy

Mantua, otherwise known as Mantova in Italian, is a city in Lombardy. It’s also the capital of the province of Mantova. Mantua’s old town and the town of Sabbioneta became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as Renaissance towns ruled by the Gonzaga family.

In 2016, Mantua was selected as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named the European Capital of Gastronomy as part of the Eastern Lombardy District. As you can tell, Mantua has numerous accolades which make it a wonderful place to visit in Italy (while remaining slightly off the main tourist route).

Mantua plays an important role in the arts and culture. For instance, the composer Monteverdi premiered his opera, L’Orfeo here. It’s also where Shakespeare decided to send Romeo into exile in the world famous play, Romeo and Juliet.

The Roman poet, Virgil, was also born in the vicinity and you’ll find a statue of Virgil at the lakeside park, Piazza Virgiliana. Mantua also inspired the composer, Antonio Vivaldi, to write the Four Seasons.

Mantova is surrounded by three artificial lakes, created in the 12th century for defensive purposes. These lakes are called Lago Superiore, Lago di Mezzo, and Lago Inferiore (Upper, Middle and Lower Lakes). The water from these lakes flows from the Mincio River, a tributary of the Po River.

Mantua has numerous sister cities around the world: Charleville-Mézières, France; Nevers, France; Pushkin, Russia; Weingarten, Germany; Madison, USA; Ōmihachiman, Japan; and Oradea, Romania.

Getting to Mantua Italy

It’s very easy to get to Mantua directly from several Italian cities, like Venice and Florence. We love traveling by train all over Italy. You can use the high speed trains to travel to Mantua directly from Venice, Bologna, Verona, Florence and more. We use Rail Europe to purchase our train tickets in advance, and we recommend that you do the same.

It’s also not a problem to rent a car and drive to Mantua. You can rent a car in Venice or rent a car in Florence, depending on your travel plans. Justin and I highly recommend using Discover Cars to book your car rental. You’ll be able to compare rates to find the best price and exactly what you’re looking for!

Looking for parking in Mantua? There are a few white-lined parking areas that are always free at Viale Mincio, Piazza Virgiliana, Piazza Anconetta and Campo Canoa. You need to pay for parking at the blue-lined parking areas. If there is a little image of two hammers crossed on the parking sign, you don’t need to pay for parking there on Sundays or holidays.

Things to Do in Mantua Italy for a Day

There are many fun things to do in Mantua Italy for a day that I’m sure you’ll love, especially if you’re a fan of history and architecture. You’ll also adore Mantua if you simply enjoy walking around new cities and towns, sampling food and drink from local restaurants and cafes, and perhaps even exploring city parks and paths.

Even with only one day in Mantua, you should have enough time to experience everything on my list. We had no issues visiting every attraction listed below, and even going on a guided tour of the Ducal Palace. To learn the most information about Mantua in a short period of time, I highly suggest taking a walking tour with a knowledgeable local guide.

Guided Walking Tour of Mantua Italy

If you only have one day in Mantua or less, consider taking a guided walking tour of the city. An informative guide will take you on a two hour walking tour of Mantua, visiting many important and notable sites on the way.

You’ll learn about the local history and the Gonzaga family who designed the town. Discover the Old Town center and the iconic sights of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll start at the Palazzo Ducale and wander down the ancient streets. Admire the most important places, such as Piazza Erbe, the Clock Tower and the Basilica di Sant’Andrea.

In only two hours, you’ll come away knowing so much about Mantua, Italy. Your guide will stroll through the beautiful and charming streets with you as you learn about the secrets of the Gonzaga family. Book your walking tour of Mantua here.

Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace)

The Palazzo Ducale di Mantova (Ducal Palace) is a collection of buildings built from the 14th to 17th centuries by the Gonzaga family. Their royal residence is a complex containing over 500 rooms, seven gardens and eight courtyards, making it the sixth largest palace in Europe. Nowadays, it’s the largest architectural museum complex in Italy.

This is an authentic city palace with majestic rooms, apartments, towers, courtyards and gardens. There are 15th and 16th century masterpieces on display, intricately woven tapestries, gorgeous frescoes, as well as an impressive Hall of Mirrors.

While you can choose to visit the palace on your own, you will get the most out of your trip by taking a tour with a knowledgeable guide. We learned so much about the Gonzaga family and viewed the highlights of this opulent palace. Please note that the palace is closed on Mondays. Book your tour of the Ducal Palace here.

Rotonda di San Lorenzo

Constructed in the 11th century, the Rotonda di San Lorenzo is the most ancient church in Mantua, Italy. It’s likely that the church was constructed on top of a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Venus. The Rotonda was deconsecrated in 1579 and has had many uses over the years. It was once used as dwellings, shops, a warehouse and a private courtyard for the Jewish quarter (the roof was completely removed!).

Over the centuries, the Rotonda di San Lorenzo became buried and covered by other buildings. In 1908, it was rediscovered and the dome was reconstructed in 1926. Once the building was restored, it was consecrated as a church once again and reopened for all to enjoy. You’ll notice that the Rotonda has sunk down below the main street level in Piazza della Erbe.

The Rotonda di San Lorenzo is open daily for visitors and it is free to visit (donations are accepted). On weekdays, the hours are 10am-1pm and 2pm-6pm. On weekends, it’s open from 10am to 7pm.

Basilica di Sant’Andrea

The Basilica di Sant’Andrea is a minor basilica and Roman Catholic co-cathedral in the historic city center, in Piazza Mantegna. It’s a prime example of 15th century Renaissance architecture in Lombardy. The church was designed by Leon Battista Alberti and built on top of a Benedictine monastery. The tower from the monastery, dating to 1414, still remains beside the cathedral.

In total, it took 328 years for the church to be fully built. You’ll walk through the large central arch of the facade into this magnificent cathedral where you’ll be able to marvel at one of the tallest domes in the world. This duomo in Mantua, Italy is number 34 on the list (and number six in Italy), which I feel is pretty impressive.

The Basilica di Sant’Andrea contains the Relic of the Holy Blood, a vial containing what’s believed to be the Blood of Christ. The relic is called Preziosissimo Sangue di Cristo and it’s preserved in two Sacred Vessels. It is displayed to the faithful on Good Friday and it is taken on a procession down the city’s streets.

Mantua Cathedral

The Mantua Cathedral, also known as the Cattedrale di San Pietro apostolo and Duomo di Mantova, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Mantua dedicated to Saint Peter. It’s the seat of the Bishop of Mantua. You will find this cathedral in Piazza Sordello along with several other points of interest in Mantua.

This cathedral was built on top of a preexisting structure that was destroyed by fire in the year 894. The current church that you can visit today was constructed from 1395–1401. Unfortunately, there was another fire in the 16th century where the interior was impacted but the front of the building was saved.

The painter and architect, Giulio Romano (who also built Palazzo Te) redesigned the interior of the Mantua Cathedral. The facade that was originally spared in the fire was replaced by the current marble one in 1756-61, built in the Baroque style.

Piazza Sordello

You may find yourself visiting Piazza Sordello at least once or twice during your trip to Mantua. This is the heart of the ancient city of Mantova and dedicated to the poet, Sordello da Goito. It was once known as Piazza San Pietro before the name change to honor the poet from Lombardy.

This is a large city square with some of the city’s most important buildings. There are two arcaded structures from the 13th century by the Bonacolsi family. There’s also Palazzo Ducale (with Palazzo del Capitano and Magna Domus), the Mantua Cathedral and Palazzo Acerbi with the Torre della Gabbia Tower.

Torre della Gabbia (Tower of the Cage) is super intriguing for those who love dark history or dark tourism. If you look closely, you’ll see a cage hanging up high on the tower. This cage is where prisoners were kept and tortured, and it’s one of the very few towers from the Middle Ages that still has its cage.

Torre dell’Orologio (Clock Tower in Mantua Italy)

Torre dell’Orologio is a 15th-century renaissance tower in Piazza Erbe, next to the Rotonda di San Lorenzo. The tower is home to an astronomical clock. This clock tower was built in the year 1473 by the mathematician, Bartolomeo Manfredi, the second built in all of Italy. The oldest astronomical clock in Italy is located in Padua.

Manfredi’s astronomical clock has at least eight effects: to show how many hours have passed since sunset, the zodiac sign of the sun, the moon’s stage, the calculation of the Ascendant (an astrological detail), the celestial body that is reigning, to play one of six different bell sounds during the day, how many hours have passed since midday, and how long the daytime/nighttime part of a day were that particular day.

Manfredi wanted to create a clock that not only told the time, but featured the days best suited for daily work and the days to avoid. In 1989, this ancient clock was fully restored. The mechanisms were rebuilt and it is fully functional today.

Palazzo Te (Te Palace)

We didn’t have the chance to visit Palazzo Te this time around. Visiting two palaces in one day seems a bit daunting to me, but you may have the energy to do both. You might also end up visiting Mantua, Italy for the weekend and have more time to explore. You can also virtually visit Palazzo Te on Google Arts & Culture.

If you’re spending two days in Mantua or three days in Mantua, definitely add Te Palace to your list. This palace is the masterpiece of Giulio Romano (heir of the great master, Raphael) and it is a fine example of the mannerist style of architecture. It was constructed between 1525 and 1535 as a palace of leisure for Federico II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua.

You’ll see many exquisite frescoes, inspired by the mythological fables of Ovid and Apuleius. There are several grandiose rooms to visit, such as the Hall of Sun, the Hall of Horses, the Hall of Cupid and Psyche and the Hall of Giants. Book your guided tour here.

Biblioteca Teresiana (Mantua’s Library)

If you find yourself with some extra time in Mantua, Italy, you can stop at a local attraction that’s a little off the beaten path. Biblioteca Teresiana is Mantua’s public library, established in 1780 by empress Maria Theresa of Austria.

While the lady at the front reception desk did not speak English, we discovered that there is a young man who runs small tours of the public library that does speak English. It is free to visit the library and take the tour. You will visit a couple of different impressive rooms filled with shelves of books. There are also some items in glass display cases.

Justin and I wanted to visit Mantua’s library, but unfortunately we didn’t come prepared. You are not allowed to bring any purses or bags into the library. There is an area with lockers in the lobby area, but you need a 2 Euro coin to use them. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any coins, and we weren’t comfortable leaving our belongings in the locker without properly securing them. Make sure you bring a €2 coin with you!

If you aren’t traveling to Mantua soon, you can still browse some of the library’s documents on Google Arts and Culture. There are also a number of digital works in the Mantua library’s archives online.

Walk or Bike the Mincio Cycle Path (Pista Ciclabile Mantova)

The Peschiera – Mantova Cycle path is a 50km route along the Mincio River between Peschiera del Garda and Mantova, Italy. I walked a section of this path at a park on the Mincio and Lago Inferiore.

This greenspace on the lakes and river winds through community gardens and offers pretty views. Of course, if you’re thinking about planning a long distance bike ride, this is a beautiful one to experience in Lombardy.

Stop for Espresso at a Local Cafe

Like most cities in Italy, there are fantastic local cafes and coffee shops to stop for an espresso or cappuccino. During our trip to Mantua, I stopped at a highly rated coffee shop that I found using Google Maps. It’s called Torrefazione Maria Bonfante.

You can try an espresso for only 1 Euro if you drink it at the bar, as the Italians do. Caffe Maria Bonfante also sells their rich and flavorful coffee beans if you’d like to bring some home with you. This is a no-frills, traditional cafe in Mantua that I know you’ll love, especially after you taste the coffee.

Sample Local Food Specialties

Mantua has several local food specialties that you’ll mainly find in this region. For example, we saw many jars of Mantuan mostarda in shop windows. Mostarda is a Northern Italian condiment made from candied fruit and a mustard flavored syrup. It’s usually served with meats and cheeses.

While many local food specialties involve meat and cheese (as a vegan, I don’t consume animal products, so I never sampled them!), there are a couple of vegetarian and veg-friendly restaurants in Mantua. If you’re vegetarian, vegan, or veg-curious, head over to Papacqua (traditional food gone vegetarian) or Il Forte Ovunque (pizza and foccacia).

Some traditional dishes that are naturally vegetarian or vegan include Tortelli di zucca (pumpkin tortelli), Tagliatelle, Peperonata (vegetable stew), and polenta.

Where to Stay in Mantua Italy

Spending the night in Mantua, Italy? There are many hotels and apartments to call home, ranging from budget accommodations to luxury properties. Use the map below to browse locations and properties. Add your travel dates for more precise pricing information. Click each property to compare, learn more and book your stay.