Gardasee Travel Blog - Mantova und Cremona - Sehenswürdigkeiten Restaurants

< back

Mantova

The history of Mantova (Mantua) goes back to Etruscan times. The fertile land in the Po Valley, which is surrounded by three lakes, provided a good livelihood for farmers. In the Middle Ages, the city flourished under the rule of the Gonzaga ducal family, who ruled the city from the 14th to the 17th century. The city was a centre of the Renaissance with artists such as Andrea Mantegna. The buildings that characterise Mantua's impressive cityscape today were created during this period.

Cremona is a city in Lombardy, on the left bank of the River Po. It is easily accessible from Lake Garda. The city is particularly famous for the violin-making families Amati, Bergonzi, Guarneri and Stradivari.

Cremona: A city with an immense cultural and historical heritage. Particularly attractive on Saturday mornings, when the market is in full swing and the lunchtime demonstration takes place in the violin museum.

Beautiful squares, architecture, an enviable town hall, a world-famous violin museum and the magnificent Ponzone Civic Museum, located near the railway station.

Cremona: Piazza del Comune is a perfect place for an aperitif. Pull up a chair in a café overlooking the square and enjoy some of the best architectural views in Italy.

Sights Mantova
Mantova: Piazza Sordello & Palazzo Ducale
Mantova: Palazzo del Te
Sights Cremona
Restaurants
Events

1. Sights Mantova

Teatro Bibiena

For music lovers, we recommend the Bibiena Theatre, a jewel from the 18th century, where the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart stayed on his first trip to Italy in 1770. The theatre is located a little to the east of Piazza Sordello.

Palazzo d'Arco

The small museum still has a complete interior, a picture gallery. Here is the room where the Tyrolean patriot Andreas Hofer was sentenced to death. The museum is located a little to the west of Piazza Sordello.

Piazza delle Erbe

The market has always been held in the Piazze delle Erbe, characterised by the Palazzo della Ragione and the Torre dell'Orologio (1472). Here you will also find the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, the oldest church in Mantua, built in the 11th century. In the Rotonda you can admire traces of frescoes from Byzantine times, among other things.

There is always something going on in Piazza delle Erbe. There are many different bars, cafés, restaurants and other shops in the colonnades. This makes it the perfect place to stroll and relax.

The Basilica of Sant'Andrea, also in Piazza delle Erbe, is the largest church in Mantua. Construction began in the 15th century, but it was only completed around 300 years later. Inside are precious relics and in one of the chapels is the tomb of Andrea Mantegna, the court painter of the Gonzaga family.

The Palazzo della Ragione (also known as the Broletto), located in Piazza d'Erbe, was formerly used as a town hall, courthouse and market hall (similar to an ancient Roman basilica).

2. Mantova: Piazza Sordello & Palazzo Ducale

The heart of the city is the Piazza Sordello with the cathedral on the north side and the Doge's Palace on the east side. The Doge's Palace Palazzo Ducale was the residence of the Gonzaga family. Palazzo Ducale is now a museum where you can admire the masterpieces of Pisanello, Andrea Mantegna, Raphael, Giulio Romano, Rubens. Inside the Doge's Palace is the Camera degli Sposi, the room of the newlyweds, painted by Andrea Mantegna in the years 1465-1474. Mantua Castle, Castello di San Giorgio was commissioned by Francesco Gonzaga at the end of the 14th century to expand the Doge's Palace and develop it as a defensive castle. The Basilica of Santa Barbara, built in the 16th century, is located near the Palazzo Ducale. This was the Gonzaga court church and several members of the Gonzaga dynasty are buried here.

Link: https://www.mantovaducale.beniculturali.it/en/ - Information on the Palazzo Ducale, in English.

3. Mantova: Palazzo del Te

Federico Gonzaga decided in the 16th century to build a summer palace with the location of the count's stables outside the city walls of Mantua.The large suburban villa was built by Giulio Romano (a student of Raphael).The building has a square plan, with a central courtyard and a spacious rear garden ending in an exedra.Carvers and fresco painters were busy for ten years, until hardly a surface in the loggias and salons was undecorated.One can find frescoes by Benedetto Pagni and Rinaldo Mantovano, which are now the most notable sight of the palazzo.The themes range from an Olympic banquet in the Sala di Psyche to stylized horses in the Sala dei Cavalli to the Sala dei Giganti with its giants and grotesques, exuberantly wandering through the chaos on the walls.

Link: http://www.palazzote.it/ - Information about the beautiful Palazzo del Te.

4. Sights Cremona

The main sights of Cremona are located around the Piazza del Comune. See description below.

If you like walking, you can reach the Basilica of San Sigismondo, a magnificent Renaissance building built by Bianca Maria Visconti, in 35/40 minutes from the centre of Cremona.

Cremona: cloistered monastery Monastero di San giuseppe in San Sigismondo

Externally, it has an extremely modest façade, with the exception of the 5 battlements, while the interior is completely and beautifully frescoed in Mannerist style. Here we find masterpieces by the Campi brothers, Camillo Boccaccino, Berardino Gatti and others. An obligatory stop for visitors to Cremona. Note: As this is a cloistered monastery, certain parts of the building (e.g. Chiostro) can only be visited on special days.

Cremona: The Piazza del Comune is home to the cathedral, baptistery, bell tower, Loggia dei Militi and Palazzo Comunale.

Cremona Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta). It is the episcopal see of the diocese of Cremona. The Romanesque church also features Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. Together with the baptistery and the Torrazzo bell tower, it forms the city's most important architectural unit. Cremona Cathedral was built in the 12th century after Barbarossa destroyed the old one and was dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta. Inside the three-nave cathedral you will find magnificent works of art and frescoes, including the story of Mary and Jesus in paintings by Boccaccino.

The position of the cathedral in Piazza del Comune (Town Hall Square), the heart of the medieval city, shows the close connection that existed between religious and political power at the time. It is no coincidence that the cathedral stands in the heart of Cremona's government district and on the same square as the town hall.

Cremona Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta).

Cremona: Torrazzo bell tower - It is also located in Piazza del Comune, next to the cathedral.

The bell tower of Cremona Cathedral, 112 metres high, was completed in the 13th century, while the sphere and cross on top date back to the 17th century. The astronomical clock installed on the Torrazzo, which can display the movement of the stars and the phases of the moon, was installed in 1583. There are 487 steps leading up to the Torrazzo, where visitors can take a look inside the room with the astronomical clockwork along the way. You will be rewarded with a marvellous panoramic view over Cremona from the top.

Cremona: The Baptistery . With an octagonal floor plan (Battistero di San Giovanni) is a religious building and stands next to the city's cathedral. It was built at the beginning of the 12th century and is characterised by its octagonal floor plan. Inside there is a 14th century crucifix above the altar of St John and two wooden statues depicting St Filippo Neri and St John the Baptist by Giovanni Bertesi. Above the ceiling is a statue of the archangel Gabriel from the 12th century.

Cremona: Right next to the Baptistery is the Loggia dei Militi (Loggia of the Soldiers). It is a historic building that was built in the 12th century. On the façade is the coat of arms ( Gonfalone) of the city of Cremona: four lions, each representing the four city gates. The loggia was the seat of the meetings of the local Società dei Militi and consists of two rectangular rooms. Under the portico is the coat of arms of Cremona.

Cremona: Palazzo Comunale. It is a beautiful building from the 13th century. It houses interesting paintings and frescoes.

Link: https://www.cattedraledicremona.it/ - Information on the Duomo - Torrazzo and Battistero

Cremona: Museo Civico Ala Ponzone

A real surprise, in the middle of the less frequented streets of the city centre is a museum that is well worth a visit. Works by Lombard painters (14th - 18th century) whose paintings adorned the churches and buildings in Cremona. Particularly worth seeing are the paintings of San Francesco by Caravaggio and L'ortolano by Arcimboldi. There is also a collection of antique instruments and a chinoiserie section.

Cremona: Museo archeologico di San Lorenzo.

The small but impressive archaeological museum is located in the former church of San Lorenzo and displays finds of Roman art, mainly from the Casa del Ninfeoin Piazza Marconi. On display are: Mosaics, wall paintings, objects from the church necropolis. The museum is well organised, with panels explaining the exhibits in detail. It is also possible to watch a video that tells you the story of Roman Cremona. A visit is worthwhile for lovers of Roman history.

Cremona: The Violin Museum (Museo del Violino) is a vivid illustration of how closely Cremona is linked to violin making and at the same time has an important function in the city, as it also has an auditorium, i.e. a concert hall, and a research centre.

The tour of the violin museum takes visitors through five centuries of the history of violin making in Cremona, introducing them to the great masters and their violins, including the famous Antonio Stradivari.

You get a very good overview of the famous families of string instrument makers in Cremona. Here we also find: audio samples, videos of famous performers, a presentation of a violin maker's workshop

The museum is an aesthetic delight. The violins and other stringed instruments are displayed in elegant showcases and the history of violin making is presented in an ingenious way.

The performances in the auditorium are an absolute highlight. Here, performers present wonderful examples on a Stradivarius. A truly unrivalled musical experience.

Link: https://www.museodelviolino.org/ - Museum Museo del Violino and Auditorium

5. Restaurants

Ristorante Il Cigno dei Martini

Long-standing family tradition, the building dates back to the 15th century, dignified yet cosy atmosphere. Perfect Italian classic home cooking.

Address Piazza Carlo d'Arco 1, Mantova

Telephone +39 0376 32 71 01

Rest day Monday and Tuesday

Osteria del Melograno

Cosy furnishings and friendly service. The Cremonese cuisine here is extremely tasty.

Address Via Eugenio Beltrami 5, Cremona

Phone +39 0372 318 63

La Sosta

This Lombard restaurant is prominently located in the old town centre and impresses with its successful interior design. The staff are friendly and courteous and the food is of the highest quality.

Address Via Sicardo Vescovo 9, Cremona

Phone +39 0372 45 66 56

Rest day Monday

Trattoria del tempo perso

A harmonious restaurant, warm and helpful service, local dishes at reasonable prices.

Address Via Ceresole 3, Cremona

Telephone +39 339 328 58 94

Rest day Tuesday and Wednesday

Negozio Sparlari

Cremonese nougat specialities (Torrone e Torroncini), Baci di Cremona, the torte (Torta Sbrisolosa), mustard and sauces for cheese and much more. The shop presents itself excellently both inside and out. As it is a historic place, it has a special style and decor. The products are varied and of excellent quality. You really are spoilt for choice here. Friendly and helpful staff and fair prices for the quality make this place a highly recommended visit.

Address Via Solferino 25, Cremona.

6. Events

Events in Mantova:

Literatur Festival Festa della Letteratura, in Mantova, im September

Events in Cremona:

You cannot cross Cremona, the world capital of violin making (among the most famous violin makers Stradivari, Guarnieri and Amati) without visiting the Violin Museum with the adjoining beautiful Auditorium "Giovanni Arvedi".In the auditorium, at certain times of the day, you can admire performances with Stradivarius violins. The special feature of the auditorium is that the acoustics are so perfect that it is also used as a recording room. The auditorium may not seem very large, but it seats nearly 500 people. It's architecturally stunning, and a large series of photos hangs in the lobby showing the progress of the construction of the space.