Tactile map of Mantua with descriptive text

Welcome! Using the tactile map, we'll discover the urban planning features that earned Mantua, along with Sabbioneta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mantua's distinctive feature is its transformation over time, from the first Etruscan settlement to the present day. The urban development occurred in three major construction phases, connected to the construction of defensive walls to enclose and protect the town. An arrow can be seen in the lower left corner; it serves to indicate orientation and points north. For ease of reading, the map has been rotated slightly to the west.

Starting from the top right corner of the model, we find one of the city's access roads: the Ponte di San Giorgio. The lowered space on either side of the bridge is filled with water. Mantua is surrounded on three sides by lakes formed by the Mincio River in 1190 by the Bergamo engineer Alberto Pitentino. The space below corresponds to the Lower Lake, while the space above the bridge corresponds to the Middle Lake.

Following this lake to the left, we find the Ponte dei Mulini (Mulini Bridge), which separates it from Lago Superiore (Upper Lake). The bridge takes its name from the twelve mills that, until the bombings of World War II, harnessed the force of falling water, thanks to the approximately three-meter difference in height compared to the other lakes. Following the shore of the lakes, it becomes clear that Mantua is a trapezoidal peninsula.

Returning to the Ponte di San Giorgio, at the top right, and following the elevated road, we come across the perimeter of the first circle of walls, highlighted in yellow. This corresponds to the original core of the city, unchanged from Roman times until the year 1000. The area is currently occupied, for approximately half, by the Palazzo Ducale complex, residence of the Gonzaga family, identifiable by its elevation and color. The Gonzaga family became lords of Mantua in 1328 and over the course of approximately three centuries expanded the Palace, a public sign of their prestige and power over the city.

During the Middle Ages, the city underwent further expansion: the first wall was incorporated into the houses, and a second wall was built along the Rio, the canal created by the reclamation works of Pitentino. Continuing along the main road, highlighted in black, you can see the new urban layout, which unfolds around three successive squares. Piazza Sordello, overlooked by the Cathedral, is within the first wall and was created by demolishing the original neighborhood. Continuing along the road, on the right, we come across Piazza Broletto, which once hosted assemblies and is bordered by the Palazzo del Podestà. Finally, Piazza Erbe, where commercial activities took place, is located.

On the left side of Piazza Erbe, the Basilica of Sant'Andrea can be identified in red. Designed by Leon Battista Alberti, its crypt houses the Sacred Vessels containing the relic of the Blood of Christ. At the end of the 15th century, this church marked the beginning of the city's modernization process, which the Gonzaga family implemented to bring it into line with the standards of a modern city.

Continuing along the main road, you come to a fork near the southern perimeter of the second circle of walls. The road on the left continues toward the Belfiore area, the entrance to Mantua from the Cremona area. The road on the right, called Via del Principe, leads directly from the historic center to Palazzo Te.

Continuing, we reach the edge of the second circle of walls, marked in blue, bordered by the Rio: the waterway that allowed navigation from the Upper Lake, on the left edge of the model, to the Lower Lake on the right edge. The Rio was partially filled in in the 1950s, but remains visible in some areas of the city. Retracing the second circle of walls and moving to the right, we encounter the Giulio Romano Fish Markets, buildings originally built as a fish market and warehouse. Today, they house the Mantua and Sabbioneta Heritage Centre, a system of spaces scattered throughout the area dedicated to the history of the site.

Continuing along the main road, you reach the third circle of walls, highlighted in green. Built in the 15th century to expand the Mantua area, the buildings most closely associated with the private life of the Gonzaga family are concentrated along Via del Principe.

In order, we encounter Andrea Mantegna's house on the left. Opposite is the Temple of San Sebastiano, designed by Alberti as the Gonzaga family's mausoleum. Further along, close to the walls, is the Palazzo di San Sebastiano, which today houses the MACA museum, Mantua's ancient collections. Further along the street, outside the walls, at the bottom of the map, is Palazzo Te, Giulio Romano's masterpiece.

In recent centuries, the city has further expanded, exploiting the areas reclaimed between the late 18th and early 20th centuries around Palazzo Te, identified by raised lines. Other important changes were made in the areas adjacent to the first circle of walls, such as the construction of the cultural center of Palazzo degli Studi and the Accademia, with the Bibiena Scientific Theater, and Piazza Virgiliana, the result of the reclamation of the port of Sant'Agnese.

The city thus reached its current size without losing its characteristic of being surrounded on three sides by water.