In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture".[citation needed] In 2017, it was named as the "European Capital of Gastronomy",[citation needed] included in the Eastern Lombardy District (together with the cities ofBergamo,Brescia, andCremona).
In 2008, Mantua'scentro storico (old town) and the nearbycomune ofSabbioneta were declared byUNESCO to be aWorld Heritage Site. Mantua's historic power and influence under theGonzaga family between 1328 and 1708 made it one of the main artistic,cultural, and especially musical hubs of Northern Italy and of Italy as a whole. It had one of the most splendid courts of Europe of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and early seventeenth centuries.[3] Mantua is noted for its significant role in the history ofopera; the city is also known for its architectural treasures and artifacts, elegant palaces, and the medieval andRenaissance cityscape. It is the city where the composerMonteverdi premiered his 1607 operaL'Orfeo. It is the nearest town to the birthplace of the Roman classical poetVirgil, who is commemorated by a statue at the lakeside park "Piazza Virgiliana".
Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificiallakes, created during the 12th century as the city's defence system. These lakes receive water from theRiver Mincio, a tributary of theRiver Po, which descends fromLake Garda. The three lakes are calledLago Superiore,Lago di Mezzo, andLago Inferiore ("Upper", "Middle", and "Lower" Lakes, respectively). A fourth lake, Lake Pajolo, which once served as a defensive water ring around the city, dried up at the end of the 18th century.
The area and its environs are important not only in naturalistic terms, but alsoanthropologically and historically; research has highlighted a number of human settlements scattered between Barche diSolferino and Bande diCavriana, Castellaro, and Isolone del Mincio. These dated, without interruption, fromNeolithic times (5th–4th millennium BC) to theBronze Age (2nd–1st millennium BC) and theGallic phases (2nd–1st centuries BC), and ended with Roman residential settlements, which can be traced to the 3rd century AD.
In 2017,Legambiente ranked Mantua as the best Italian city for quality of life and environment.[4]
Mantua was an island settlement which was first established about the year 2000 BC on the banks of RiverMincio, which flows fromLake Garda to theAdriatic Sea. In the 6th century BC, Mantua was anEtruscan village which, in the Etruscan tradition, was re-founded byOcnus.[5][6]
The name may derive from the Etruscan godMantus. After being conquered by theCenomani, aGallic tribe, Mantua was subsequently fought between the first and secondPunic Wars against theRomans, who attributed its name toManto, a daughter ofTiresias. This territory was later populated by veteran soldiers ofAugustus. Mantua's most famous ancient citizen is the poetVirgil, or Publius Vergilius Maro (Mantua me genuit), who was born in the year 70 BC at a village near the city which is now known as Virgilio.[7]
In the 11th century, Mantua became a possession ofBoniface of Canossa,marquis ofTuscany. The last ruler of that family was the countessMatilda of Canossa (d. 1115), who, according to legend, ordered the construction of the preciousRotonda di San Lorenzo (or St. Lawrence's Roundchurch) in 1082. The Rotonda still exists today and was renovated in 2013.
After the death of Matilda of Canossa, Mantua became afreecommune and strenuously defended itself from the influence of the Holy Roman Empire during the 12th and 13th centuries. In 1198, Alberto Pitentino altered the course of River Mincio, creating what the Mantuans call "the four lakes" to reinforce the city's natural protection. Three of these lakes still remain today and the fourth one, which ran through the centre of town, was reclaimed during the 18th century.
During the struggle between the Guelphs and theGhibellines, Pinamonte Bonacolsi took advantage of the chaotic situation to seize power of the podesteria in 1273. He was declared theCaptain General of the People. TheBonacolsi family ruled Mantua for the next two generations and made it more prosperous and artistically beautiful. On 16 August 1328 Luigi Gonzaga, an official in Bonacolsi's podesteria, and his family staged a public revolt in Mantua and forced acoup d'état on the last Bonacolsi ruler, Rinaldo.
Ludovico Gonzaga, who had beenPodestà of Mantua since 1318, was duly electedCapitano del popolo. The Gonzagas built new walls with five gates and renovated the city in the 14th century; however, the political situation did not settle until the governance of the third ruler of Gonzaga,Ludovico III Gonzaga, who eliminated his relatives and centralised power to himself. During the Italian Renaissance, the Gonzaga family softened their despotic rule and further raised the level of culture and refinement in Mantua.[8]
Isabella d'Este, Marchioness of Mantua, married Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess ofMantua in 1490. When she moved to Mantua fromFerrara (she was the daughter ofDuke Ercole the ruler ofFerrara) she created her famousstudiolo firstly inCastello di San Giorgio for which she commissioned paintings fromMantegna,Perugino andLorenzo Costa. She later moved her studiolo to the Corte Vecchia and commissioned two paintings fromCorreggio to join the five from Castello di San Giorgio. It was unusual for a woman to have a studiolo in 15th century Italy given they were regarded as masculine spaces. Isabella was a vociferous collector and such was her reputation that Niccolò da Corregio called her 'la prima donna del mondo'.
The first Duke ofMantua wasFederico II Gonzaga, who acquired the title from the Holy Roman EmperorCharles V in 1530. Federico commissionedGiulio Romano to build the famousPalazzo Te, on the periphery of the city, and profoundly improved the city. In the late 16th century,Claudio Monteverdi came to Mantua from his native Cremona. He worked for the court ofVincenzo I Gonzaga, first as a singer and violist, then as music director, marrying the court singer Claudia Cattaneo in 1599.
In 1627, the direct line of the Gonzaga family came to an end with the vicious and weakVincenzo II, and Mantua slowly declined under the new rulers, theGonzaga-Nevers, a cadet French branch of the family. TheWar of the Mantuan Succession broke out, and in 1630 anImperial army of 36,000 mercenaries underMatthias Gallas andJohann von Aldringen besieged and sacked Mantua, bringing the plague with them.Ferdinand Carlo IV, an inept ruler, whose only interest was in holding parties and theatrical shows, allied with France in theWar of the Spanish Succession. After the French defeat, he took refuge inVenice and carried with him a thousand pictures. At his death in 1708, the Duke of Mantua was declared deposed and his family of Gonzaga lost Mantua forever in favour of theHabsburgs of Austria.
Under Austrian rule, Mantua enjoyed a revival and during this period the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, the Scientific Theatre, and numerous palaces were built.
In 1786, ten years beforeNapoleon Bonaparte's campaign in Italy, the Austrian Duchy of Mantua briefly united with theDuchy of Milan until 1791.
On 4 June 1796 during theWar of the First Coalition, Mantua wasbesieged byNapoleon Bonaparte's French army. The first Austrian attempt to break the siege was successful and the siege was abandoned on 1 August. The Austrian army was defeated at theBattle of Castiglione on 5 August and left the area.[9] The French resumed the siege on August 27 and accepted surrender of the city on 2 February 1797.[10] The city was recaptured by the Austrians in theWar of the Second Coalition after asiege lasting from 8 April to 28 July 1799.[11]
Later, the city again passed into Napoleon's control and became a part of Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy. In 1810Andreas Hofer was shot by Porta Giulia, a gate of the town at Borgo di Porto (Cittadella) for leading the insurrection in theCounty of Tyrol against Napoleon.
After the brief period of French rule, Mantua returned to Austria in 1814, becoming one of theQuadrilatero fortress cities in northern Italy. Under theCongress of Vienna (1815), Mantua became a province in the Austrian Empire'sKingdom of Lombardy–Venetia. Agitation against Austria, however, culminated in a revolt which lasted from 1851 to 1855, but it was finally suppressed by the Austrian army. One of the most famous episodes of the ItalianRisorgimento took place in the valley of the Belfiore, where a group of rebels was hanged by the Austrians.
Mantua, although a constituent province of Lombardy, still remained under the Austrian Empire along with Venetia. In 1866, Prussia-ledNorth German Confederation sided with the newly established, Piedmont-led Kingdom of Italy against the Austrian Empire in theThird Italian War of Independence. The quick defeat of Austria led to its withdrawal of the Kingdom of Venetia (including the capital city,Venice). Mantua reconnected with the region of Lombardy and wasincorporated into theKingdom of Italy.
DuringWorld War II, in November 1943, Nazi Germany relocated the Stalag 337prisoner-of-war camp fromLeśna inGerman-occupied Poland to Mantua.[12] The camp was dissolved in February 1944, and in April 1944 the Dulag 339 transit camp for British, Italian, American, French, Greek and Yugoslav POWs was established in its place, and remained operational until April 1945.[12]
Piazza delle ErbePanorama of MantuaMuseum Francesco Gonzaga
The Gonzagas protected the arts and culture, and were hosts to several important artists such asLeone Battista Alberti,Andrea Mantegna,Giulio Romano,Donatello,Peter Paul Rubens,Pisanello,Domenico Fetti,Luca Fancelli, and Nicolò Sebregondi. Though many of the masterworks have been dispersed, the cultural value of Mantua is nonetheless outstanding, with many of Mantua's patrician and ecclesiastical buildings being uniquely important examples of Italian architecture.
Museo diocesano Francesco Gonzaga, art museum displaying sacred artworks, armor, coins, tapestries, pottery, ancient and contemporary paintings.
Santa Paola, church built in the early 15th century by the will of MarchionessPaola Malatesta, wife ofFrancesco I. Architects such asLuca Fancelli andGiulio Romano collaborated to its construction. It houses the tombs of five members of the Gonzaga family, including those of Paola and ofFrancesco II.
Santa Maria del Gradaro, church built starting from 1256 on the site where, according to the tradition,Saint Longinus was buried. In 1772 it became a store, and was reconsecrated only in the 1950s.
Palazzo Te (1525–1535), semi-rural palace ofGiulio Romano[13] (who lived in Mantua in his final years) in the matureRenaissance style, with some hints of a post-Raphaelianmannerism. It was the summer residential villa ofFrederick II of Gonzaga. It hosts the Museo Civico (with the donations ofArnoldo Mondadori, one of the most important Italian publishers, and Ugo Sissa, a Mantuan architect who worked inIraq from where he brought back importantMesopotamian artworks).
Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga, an example of Baroque architecture and decoration, with frescoes attributed to Flemish painterFrans Geffels. The façade of the palace was designed by Nicolò Sebregondi.
Bibiena Theater, also known as theTeatro Scientifico, designed byAntonio Bibiena in 1767–1769. Inaugurated officially on 3 December 1769 and on 16 January 1770, thirteen-year-oldWolfgang Amadeus Mozart played a concert.
Casa del Mercato, a frescoed Renaissance building designed byLuca Fancelli in 1462 and later used by Andrea Mantegna.
House of Mantegna, facing the church of San Sebastiano. It was built by the eponymous artist starting from 1476, and has plan with a circular internal court included within an external square building. It is now used for temporary exhibitions.
By car, Mantova can be reached on the A4 (Milan-Venice) Highway up to Verona, then theA22 (Brennero-Modena) Highway. Alternatively, the city can be reached from Milan on the State Road 415 (Milan-Cremona) to Cremona and from there State Road 10 (Cremona-Mantova), or from Verona on the State Road 62.
The closest airport isVerona-Villafranca Airport. The direct shuttle bus service running to and from Mantova railway station was canceled on 1 January 2015. Public connection is now provided by the airport bus running to and from Verona Porta Nuova railway station, and the Verona-Mantova railway line.
An annual survey of Legambiente (an ecologist movement of Italy) in 2005 declared Mantua the most 'liveable' city of the country. The study was based on levels of pollution, quality of life, traffic, and public transport, among other criteria.[14]
The body ofSaint Longinus, twice recovered and lost, was asserted to have been found once more at Mantua in 1304, together with the Holy Sponge stained with Christ's blood.
Since 1997 Mantua has hosted theFestivaletteratura, one of the most renowned literary events in Europe.
In 2007 the remains of two people, known as theLovers of Valdaro, were discovered during the construction of a factory. The remains are thought to be between 5,000 and 6,000 years old. It is speculated that the remains are of two young lovers because the two skeletons appear to be embracing.[15]
In May 2012, a deadly earthquake struck Northern Italy, causing damage to some historic buildings in Mantua, including the Palazzo Ducale. After months of repair, the Palazzo reopened its doors in September 2012.
The composerAntonio Vivaldi was employed by the governor of Mantua in the period 1718–1720. Mantua inspired him to write the Four Seasons and has been a city of note in Italy to enjoy the seasonal variations since.
Since local government political reorganization in 1993, Mantua has been governed by the City Council of Mantua. Voters elect directly 33 councilors and the mayor of Mantua every five years. The current mayor of Mantua isMattia Palazzi (PD), elected on 15 June 2015.
InWilliam Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet, Romeo is punished for killingTybalt: he is exiled from Verona to Mantua. The plan is for both Romeo and Juliet to escape Verona after Juliet wakes up from her fake death, but that never happens, because Romeo dies, and she stabs herself to death.
In William Shakespeare's playThe Taming of the Shrew, the schoolmaster who pretends to beLucentio's father, Vincentio, is from Mantua. Hortensio is presented as "Licio, born in Mantua". Another character simply named "Pedant" states that he is from Mantua.[26]
Giuseppe Verdi's operaRigoletto (based onVictor Hugo's playLe roi s'amuse) is set in Mantua. Austro-Hungarian authorities inVenice forced him to move the action from France to Mantua. A medieval building with portico and 15th-century loggia in Mantua is said to be "Rigoletto's house". It was actually the house of the cathedral regulars. It was chosen by the Gonzaga family as the residence of the legendary fool who was then used by Verdi in his opera.
Netflix's Italian mini-seriesThe Trial (Italian:Il processo), released in Italy in 2019, was primarily filmed in Mantua. It was directed byStefano Lodovichi, and was created byAlessandro Fabbri, in collaboration with Laura Colella and Enrico Audenino. It is the fictional story of the challenges faced by a local prosecutor as she takes up a murder case involving a local wealthy woman.
^abMegargee, Geoffrey P.; Overmans, Rüdiger; Vogt, Wolfgang (2022).The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume IV. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. pp. 118,333–334.ISBN978-0-253-06089-1.
^"Guarnieri" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 660; see line 5.Another son of Andreas, Peter (Pietro Giovanni), commonly known as "Peter of Cremona" (b. 1655), moved from Cremona and settled at Mantua....
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