The trip from Verona to Mantua is very short, and the view of the town is magnificent once you get there. Surrounded by a river bend, Mantua just didn’t grow that much since the Renaissance and seems like it’s completely trapped in that time. It’s tiny, but has a surprisingly great number of things to offer.
But first, business. I had to do a work call, and after some frantic searching for WiFi, I ended up calling from a park using the free city connection. Turns out it’s pretty great, thanks Mantua!
We’ve seen a few best churches, walked around town, but the highlight of the day was definitely Palazzo Te. Designed and decorated by Giulio Romano, it’s an absolute must see. The frescos in it are stunning, with some rooms literally covered floor to ceiling. The Eros and a Psyche room is utterly stunning, and the Gigantomachy run is even better! I found a while new association for Romano, he’s great!
The Palazzo also hosted a great exhibition of erotic art – it’s fantastic to have some counterbalance to all the religious themes…
Finally, we visited the cathedral, also designed by Romano and looking much like a palace itself. And the little 11th century Rotonda di San Lorenzo – charming!
We left the town in the evening heading for the next stop: Modena.
