A splendid excursion to Mantua, the famous city of artistic treasures
Participants will be picked up at 8.00am to depart for Mantua. Upon arrival you will be welcomed by this elegant town in the Lombardy region, once the center of the Italian Renaissance. In 2008 Mantua was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The city is a treasure trove of art treasures thanks to the many famous artists, painters and sculptors, that worked here – Mantegna, Pisanello, Leon Battista Alberti and more. These painters, artists and sculptors enriched the artistic and cultural history of Mantua. An ancient city of Etruscan origins, Mantua enjoyed its greatest splendor during the long rule of the Gonzaga family (1328-1707). Today the symbol of the Gonzaga lordship is the Palazzo Ducale, one of the most extensive and elaborate palaces in Italy that includes nearly 500 halls and rooms, many squares, courtyards and gardens within its walls. The morning will be devoted to free time and individual sightseeing; you will have the chance to walk around the quaint old town where there are art galleries, charming nooks and crannies, alleys, streets, squares and ancient brick-lined streets and old architectural styles. Piazza Erbe with Piazza Sordello in the town center, defined as the city’s parlor, will welcome you with the Rotonda of San Lorenzo, a small 12th century church, the majestic Palazzo della Ragione, built in 1250, the impressive spires of the Basilica of St. Andrew, the Tower and Palazzo del Podesta where you can enjoy an aperitif, go shopping under the arcades or dine on tasty local dishes such as pumpkin ravioli or risotto alla pilota. Certainly worth a visit is the majestic sixteenth century Palazzo Te, built just outside the walls, which was a place of recreation designed to host distinguished guests and where the Gonzaga family held sumptuous receptions and banquets. It has a large courtyard inside, with many symbols and scenes of myths that are frescoed beautifully in the inner rooms. Today Palazzo Te is also a venue for temporary exhibitions of international importance.
In the afternoon the tour will continue on towards Maranello (Modena), the city famous for Ferrari. You will be catapulted into a high-tech world of avant-garde technology and excellence with a visit to the renovated and expanded Ferrari Museum just 300 yards from the Ferrari car factory. In this museum, entirely dedicated to the prancing horse brand, you can have a 360° experience of the Ferrari world from it’s historical beginnings to the present, reliving the long path of prizes, awards and competitions, but also of expert engineering, technology and research that made the Ferrari brand famous and loved all over the world. You can admire some early projects and get a close look at the new prototypes; don’t miss the emotion on a simulator that will make you feel like you are at the wheel of a real Gran Prix car. Following will be a visit to the new MEF (Enzo Ferrari) Museum, which unlike the one in Maranello, offers visitors an experience of innovative multimedia and avant-garde technology with a multimedia movie all around, a new concept for an interactive museum. You can also visit Enzo Ferrari’s home, which, starting out as a busy work-shop near the train station, has been able to conquer the world with the pony legend.
Return at about 7.30pm.
The program can be arranged to satisfy specific requests.
For prices and more information please contact us at tel +39 045 8200398.
Our staff is at your complete disposal.
