Mantua was added late to the WH list, only in 2008. At that time, reading the particularly weak AB evaluation, I was wondering if it was worthy enough. The combination with Sabbioneta seemed difficult to explain, and there was no clear reason given why it would distinguish itself from other Italian Renaissance cities. Only recently I started to become more interested in Art History, even just finished a course on it as part of my General Cultural Sciences studies. Mantua popped up there quite prominently. It even got 2 entries among the 101 masterworks of European art and architecture. So I became very interested in visiting.

The town is a bit far from everywhere, and it took me 2 hours to get there on a local train from Ferrara. From the train station, it is a walk of another 15 minutes or so to the heart of the city, through quite unimpressive streets. My first goal was the Sant’Andrea basilica, one of the 2 “masterpieces”. Its dome can be seen from afar, but finding the entrance is a lot more difficult. The façade of this 15th-century church is dwarfed by the neighbouring tower and shopping arcades. Leon Battista Alberti designed this church using the triumphal arch motif in both the interior and the façade. Inside I was surprised by how big it is. Unfortunately, the nave is currently totally hidden under scaffoldings. At the back though, restorations of the dome and transept have been finished, showing the same triumphal arch motifs and very elaborate painted and sculpted decorations.

The small 12th-century Rotonda San Lorenzo nearby is worth a quick look. Not far from it lies the Palazzo Ducale. It’s an enormous complex, I seemed to keep on walking and walking without seeing much. Most notable are the large black and red drawings on the walls called sinopia (pre-studies of frescoes) and the trompe l’oeil at the Camera degli Sposi.

After enjoying a good lunch in town including the region’s specialty of pasta stuffed with pumpkins, I walked south. Here, in the former outskirts and on the site of the horse stables, the Palazzo di Tè was built. The second “masterpiece” according to my art history books. It is one of the first prominent examples of mannerism in Italy. Mannerism means that not all should be perfect and straight, so the façade is covered with stucco decorations. Stucco is also repeated often in the interior too, where there are also rooms full of Flemish tapestries and paintings.

Including the transport from and to Ferrara, I spent a full day in Mantua. The stunning city view mentioned by the other reviewers is also visible from the train, though it passes quickly.