Mantua

Mantua (in Italian "Mantova") is a city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province with the same name.

History

The town was founded presumably around 2000 BC on the banks of the Mincio river, a sort of island among its waters (and indeed safe natural protection), and in the 6th century BC was an Etruscan village that Etruscan tradition described as re-founded by Oscno. The name derives from Mantus, an Etruscan god of Hades. The Romans, who conquered it between the first and second Punic wars, confused Mantus with Manto, a daughter of Tyresia (Tiresias). Publius Virgilius Maro, Virgil, was born here (Mantua me genuit).

Related Topics:
2000 BC - Mincio - Etruscan - Oscno - Mantus - God - Hades - Romans - Punic wars - Manto - Tiresias - Virgil

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Mantua was invaded (after the decay of the Roman Empire) by Goths, Byzantines, Longobards and Franks, and then it became a possession of Canossa, whose last ruler was the famous countess Matilde of Canossa (d. 1115). According to the legend, she ordered the construction of the precious "Rotonda di San Lorenzo" (1082).

Related Topics:
Roman Empire - Goths - Byzantines - Longobards - Franks - Canossa - Matilde of Canossa - 1115 - 1082

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After the death of Matilde of Canossa, Mantua became a Free City, and strenuously defended its freedom against the Holy Roman Empire in the 12th and 13th centuries. In 1198 Alberto Pitentino optimised the course of the Mincio, creating what Mantuans call "the four lakes", reinforcing its natural protection.

Related Topics:
Holy Roman Empire - 1198

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During the struggle between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, Piamonte Bonacolsi seized power in 1273, and his family ruled Mantua for the next century, making it more prosperous and artistically beautiful. In 1323, the Bonacolsi were overthrown in a revolt, and Mantua came under the rule of the "People's Captain" Luigi Gonzaga. The Gonzaga were appointed Marquis of Mantua by Emperor Sigismund, and Dukes of Mantua by Emperor Charles V. The Gonzaga would continue to rule Mantua until 1708. See Duchy of Mantua.

Related Topics:
Guelphs - Ghibellines - Bonacolsi - Gonzaga - Marquis - Emperor Sigismund - Duke - Emperor Charles V - Duchy of Mantua

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The Gonzaga protected art and culture, and hosted several important artists like Leone Battista Alberti, Andrea Mantegna, Donatello, Luca Fancelli, and Nicolò Sebregondi.

Related Topics:
Leone Battista Alberti - Andrea Mantegna - Donatello - Luca Fancelli - Nicolò Sebregondi

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Notably, the town contains many artworks and architectural treasures that record its important epochs: the Duomo, the Palazzo Ducale, the Magna Domus, the Palazzo del Capitano, the Palazzo Vescovile, the Palazzo degli Uberti, the Castle of St. George, the Palazzo Castiglioni (or Palazzo Bonacolsi), the Tower of the Gabbia, and the Palazzo del Podestà, all of which are examples of a unique patrimony in patrician buildings and in Italian architecture. However, the most important testimony to this skill is undoubtedly the Palazzo Te.

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Palazzo del Te (1525-1535) is a creation of Giulio Romano (who lived in Mantua in his final years), meant as the residential villa of Frederick II of Gonzaga, in the style of mature Renaissance and with some hints of a certain post-Raphaelian mannerism. It hosts the Museo Civico (with the donations of Arnoldo Mondadori, the most important Italian publisher, and Ugo Sissa, a Mantuan architect who worked in Iraq from where he brought back important Mesopotamian artworks).

Related Topics:
Palazzo del Te - 1525 - 1535 - Giulio Romano - Frederick II of Gonzaga - Renaissance - Raphael - Mannerism - Arnoldo Mondadori - Ugo Sissa - Iraq - Mesopotamia

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In 1627, the direct line of the Gonzaga faily came to an end, and the town slowly declined due to wars and the plague. In 1707, the last descendent of the Gonzaga was deposed by the Hapsburgs 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 Palazzo were built. After a brief rule under Napoleon, Mantua returned to Austria in 1814, becoming one of the Quadrilatero fortress cities in northern Italy. Agitation against Austria cumulated in a revolt from 1851-1855, which was supressed by the Austrian army. In 1866, Mantua was incorporated in a united Italy by the king of Sardinia.

Related Topics:
1627 - 1707 - Hapsburg - Austria - Napoleon - Quadrilatero - 1866 - United Italy - Sardinia

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Its patron saint is Anselm of Lucca, the Younger.

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Since 1996 Mantua hosts the Festivaletteratura, one of the most reknown literary events in Europe.

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