What to see in Mantoue ?

Mantua derives its character from an almost accidental geography: the city is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes dug by the Gonzaga family, giving it a particular light—low and diffuse—that the court painters knew how to exploit. The Palazzo Ducale and Mantegna's Camera degli Sposi alone justify the detour, but the city works chiefly as a cohesive, intact whole that mass tourism has not yet dismantled.

September and October are the best windows: the heat subsides, the Festivaletteratura literary festival animates the squares without saturating them. Two days allow you to cover the essentials without hurrying. Trains run from Milan or Verona; the centre is entirely walkable. Avoid concentrating your visit on the Palazzo Te alone to the south: the historic heart around Piazza Sordello deserves at least as much attention.