Hello, fellow travelers!
Today, I’d like to wrap up my series of posts on the city of Mantua. It’s a city I couldn’t fully explore this time, so I’m already planning a return visit! There’s still so much more to see here, and, not to mention, there are also charming little towns nearby that are worth exploring. But back to the point: I wanted to share with you that whether or not you’re religious, there’s a chance here to visit two architectural treasures that will take your breath away with their beauty and history.
The first is the Basilica of Sant'Andrea, a true masterpiece of the Renaissance, designed by the renowned architect Leon Battista Alberti. I was struck by the grandeur of the interiors and the beautiful frescoes you can admire inside this basilica, which you can visit for free.
I read (though I’m not entirely sure) that it’s the largest church in Mantua and one of the largest in Lombardy. It’s said that in its crypt are two relics holding soil stained with the blood of Christ, allegedly brought to Mantua by the Roman soldier Longinus.
What captivated me most is the dome, which rises 80 meters high and spans 25 meters in diameter—making it one of the largest in Italy. Unfortunately, many artworks that were once housed in this church were taken during Napoleon’s conquest, with many pieces now displayed at the Louvre in Paris.
The other church I had the chance to visit, also for free, and equally striking in its architectural beauty, is Mantua’s Duomo, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle. This cathedral serves as the main place of worship in Mantua.
With early Christian origins, as it was built around the 800s, it was later rebuilt in various styles by the Gonzaga family. After suffering several fires and earthquakes, it was reshaped by Giulio Romano into a form similar to the original Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome—not the version we see in Rome today, but the earlier early-Christian structure.
Inside, you can find several important paintings, though, as you might guess, many of them were also taken to France during the Napoleonic expropriations. Despite being stripped of much of its artwork, it remains a beautiful church well worth a visit.
I hope the photos I shared were interesting, and, more importantly, I hope you get the chance to visit this place because it’s truly worth it. Mantua is a gem that deserves recognition alongside Italy’s other major cities.
See you in my next post, and I wish you all a great start to the week!