Located along the right bank of the Mincio river, Mantua was probably founded by the Etruscans (in fact, according to the tradition, its name derived from the Etruscan God Manth); later it was conquered by the Romans and Vergilius, the famous Latin poet, was born in a village not too far from Mantua ("Mantua me genuit" - Mantua bore me - is written on his tomb).
Mantua was a small fortified town in the Medieval ages, then under the Gonzagas and especially during the Renaissance, became an important cultural centre: buildings, residences, churches, monuments and excellent works of art of immense value enriched the city which still shines of so much beauty.
Among the most important monument you can visit here, we remember the Palazzo Ducale, one of the most majestic residence of that period with its 500 rooms and 15 courtyards, the Palazzo Te, summer residence of the Gonzagas built by Giulio Romano in 1535, the Mantegna's house, built in 1476 and inhabited by the artist since 1476, Giulio Romano's house, the Palazzo della ragione (1250) and the Palazzo dell'Arco (1784).
The Basilica of Sant'Andrea and the Church of San Sebastiano (with the imposing dome designed by Juvarra) are Leon Battista Alberti's masterpieces.