Mantova, Italy
ACTIVITIES
Museum
Cycling
Waterway Cruises
Architecture
Mantova (also known as Mantua) may be lesser known than Rome, Florence and Venice yet this Italian art city wants for nothing. It is one of the most atmospheric old cities in Italy. Mantova boasts a royal flush of Renaissance buildings. What's more, it is a great place for families to roam. Mantova sits on the River Mincio and is bordered by three lakes - Lago Superiore, Lago di Mezzo and Lago Inferiore. Bike trails, of varying lengths, crisscross the area. Take a boat tour on the River Mincio. Cruise Lago Superiore. Float the Po all the way to Venice. Bike the perimeter of the fortified city. Cycle the banks of the Mincio south to the confluence, north to Lake Garda. Take in an exhibit at Palazzo Te. Tour Palazzo Ducale. Stoll the streets of this pocket-sized Renaissance city and imagine life as Gonzaga duke.
Guelfs & Ghibellines
Guelfs and ghibellines aren't creatures in a fantasy tale but rather rival Italian political parties during the Middle Ages. The Guelfs supported the Pope. The Ghibellines were sympathetic to the German emperor. Most wealthy merchants were Guelfs. Feudal landowners or noblemen were, for the most part, Ghibellines. Mercantile republics, such as Florence and Genoa, were Guelf cities. City-states or commune, for example Mantova and Forli, were Ghibelline. Guelf cities tussled with Ghibelline towns. Guelf families struggled against Ghibelline households in the same city. The clash between the two parties was most important in Florence.
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Travel Trivia
Cinque Terre is Italian for: