Mantua

Mantua from across the Lago Inferiore

Today we are on an outing from Padua to see the beautiful city of Mantua. Our first sight of the city is from the other side of the Lago Inferiore (Lower Lake). The old part of Mantua is surrounded by water on three sides, the result of a medieval project to create lakes where there was once only a stream. The other lakes are, reasonably enough, Lago di Mezzo (Middle Lake) and Lago Superiore (Upper Lake). Road causeways separate the three lakes.

Our first close up view of the city was of the rear of the group of buildings known collectively as the Ducale Palace. On the right is the medieval Castle of St George, built between 1395 and 1406. It is similar to the great castle of Ferrara, which we saw in 2013.

We walked around to the large square called the Piazza Sordello, where the entrance to the Palace can be found.

Only a limited amount of the massive castle is available to be viewed, but our first port of call was the Apartment of Isabella d'Este. The sixteen-year-old Isabella arrived in Mantua from Ferrara on 12 February 1490 to marry Frederic II Gonzaga. Only the frescoe on the ceiling remain.

We then had to leave this section of the palace and reenter to reach the Castle of St George via the lovely Piazza Castello.

The main thing to see in the Castle is the Camera degli Sposi, the Bridal Chamber. According to Wikipedia, This room would have been used for several different private and semi-private functions such as a bed chamber for Ludovico, a gathering area for family and close courtiers, and a reception room for particularly important guests. It has wonderful frescoes commissioned by Ludovico III Gonzaga from the celebrated painter Andrea Mantegna. The walls and ceiling were painted between 1465 and 1474.

The ceiling is particularly memorable, as it is the first example of accurate perspective seen from below.

In one of the painted columns Mantegna has taken the trouble to include a small and inconspicuous self-portrait.

Returning to the Piazza Sordello, we passed the Cathedral with a Baroque facade, but rather entertaining sides featuring red bricks and triangular gables. The current church from 1756–61.

On the right is the Piazzo Castiglioni. You can also see the Torre della Gabbia, which allegedly has a cage still hanging from it where criminals were left to die (perhaps it be seen from another angle). On the extreme left is the dome of the massive Basilica di Sant'Andrea (see below).

We headed into the centre to find the wonderful astronomical clock on its splendid tower. It was constructed in 1472-3m and was one of the first mechanical clocks in Europe

Immediately to its right was the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, an exquisite round church. It was built in 1082, but in 1579 Duke Guglielmo I Gonzaga ordered it to be closed. The roof fell in and it was later surrounded by other structures. These were demolished in 1908, but its restoration, involving substantial rebuilding took place much later, I think after 2007.

Although de-consecrated, it is now a beautiful and atmospheric example of the round church.

Nearby is an unusual and very lovely Gothic merchant's house (the Casa del Mercanto of 1455) ...

... and not far away a lone, but very welcome, example of art nouveau.

In the same street, via Battista Spagnoli, is the handsome 19th century Grain Market

Our final sight was the Basilica di Sant'Andrea. It was begin in 1462 to designs by Leon Battista Alberti, but not finished until the 18th century - by then in a Baroque rather than Renaissance style. A bit over the top for my taste.

Conditions: largely grey.

Rating: five stars. A wonderful city.