Description
Mantua has the Mincio wrapped around three of its sides, and this Mantua walking tour covers its historic centre in about two hours with a licensed private guide. You start outside the Palazzo Ducale, the Gonzaga family seat, a vast complex that includes the Castle of San Giorgio, with its four corner towers and Mantegna frescoes, along with the Corte Vecchia and the Palazzo del Capitano.
A short walk away is the House of Rigoletto, where a bronze figure recalls the jester of Verdi's opera. Next comes the Cathedral of Saint Peter, with a Carrara marble facade and the tombs of leading Gonzaga family members; inside you find Renaissance paintings and a Via Crucis in clay.
The route then reaches Piazza delle Erbe, still home to a fruit and vegetable market and framed by Gothic and Renaissance arcades. Around it are the round Rotonda di San Lorenzo, the Palazzo della Ragione, the Merchant's House with its oriental-style facade, and the Clock Tower with its astronomical clock showing the moon's days, the stars and the zodiac.
- Basilica of Sant'Andrea, decorated with frescoes by Correggio and Mantegna, whose tomb is inside
- Loggia delle Pescherie, a 16th-century work by Giulio Romano and a good spot for photos
The Palazzo Ducale, the Rigoletto house, the Palazzo della Ragione, the Merchant's House and the Clock Tower are seen from the outside.