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Zurers in Italy 2025
- Thread starter Jim Zurer
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Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
That's ok, I'm sure they'll be happy to switch in the phytoplankton mayo for you
Zurers in Italy 2025: Monday, May 12: Day 19: Padova
We have an appointment this morning at 10 am at the Jewish Museum for a tour of the museum and a visit to the synagogue. Our hotel is located in the center of the old Jewish ghetto so we have a very short walk to get there.
The museum is in the building that used to be the Ashkenazi (eastern European) synagogue. We later learn that this building was burned by Fascists in 1935 and has since been renovated and was opened as a museum in 2015. The museum occupies a large space and is filled with display cases and exhibits about Jewish life in Padova over the centuries.
Photo from Jewish Museum Padova website
Francesca gives us an introduction to the museum and a few words about the history of Jewish Padova. The ruling family from 1318-1405--the Carrarese--were welcoming, and Jews were able to work as doctors, merchants, and bankers without many restrictions. At one time, there were five synagogues in the city and the Jewish population peaked at more than 1300 people. The ghetto was decreed in 1603. In 1895, the community decided to merge and only meet in one of the synagogues. They agreed that they would adopt the Italian rite of worship and that is the synagogue that is still open today.
We watch a very well produced film that details the history of the community and explains how Padova became the center of Jewish scholarship in Europe in the 14th century. We learn that many Jews from all over Europe were able to study at the University in Padova when most other universities were closed to them. The community also established a rabbinical training college in the 19th century and many Jews were active in the political and cultural life of the city, including one who was Mayor in the early 19th century. The enactment of the racial laws by the Fascists in the 1930s and the takeover by the Nazis in 1943 was catastrophic for the community and many were murdered in concentration camps. But, unlike many other Italian communities, many Jews came back and there is a small but thriving (around 200 people) Jewish presence in Padova today.
After the film, we wander through the museum; the room is dominated by a large illuminated reproduction of the ark from this synagogue which is now in use in a synagogue in Tel Aviv.
Here are some of the pieces that caught our eye.
Intricate rimonim
Silver cards used for calling members of the congregation up for honors at services.
Embroidered and lace cloth strips used to tie the Torah scrolls.
A torah with its decorated cover and crown
An old Passover haggadah
We are very impressed with the long history of the Padova Jewish community and how well they have documented their heritage.
It's a short walk over to the synagogue.
As is usual in Italy, synagogues are guarded by army troops and here in Padova, there are three soldiers always stationed next to the entrance.
The synagogue dates back to the 16th century and is stunning.
Francesca explains that the layout--the bima, the ark, the seating--is not traditionally Jewish because in the 16th century, Jews could not be architects or designers so Christians were hired to carry out the work and tended to use Christian church models for their plans.
We are glad that we are able to add the Padova synagogue to our "collection" of Italian Jewish sites.
Our next stop is the Duomo of Padova. It has been described in guidebooks as the only Duomo in Italy with nothing of significant interest. We find that a bit harsh...the inside is quite austere with lots of light.
but it is true that there is little notable art on the walls. There is a nice simple wooden pulpit with a beautiful wrought iron railing.
Outside the Duomo, an impressive archway serves as the entrance to a parking lot.
Diana is taken with this wrought iron doorway we pass on our way back to the hotel. [I always imagine I could turn these beautiful designs into quilting patterns. dz]
We decide to eat lunch at an outdoor restaurant just down the street from the hotel and vow not to overdo it and spoil our appetite for dinner. We have a simple lunch....Diana has a plate of mixed crostini with various spreads and I have a piatto unico (combination plate) of bigoli (Venetian thick pasta) and meatballs. It's very pleasant and relaxing and a nice contrast with our usual sandwich lunch.
After lunch, Diana stays in the room to sew and I do a bit more exploring in another part of the city.
This kind of "focused wandering" is what I enjoy so much in Italian cities...I am continually surprised at what I encounter and I get a much better sense of the layout and life of the city.
Later in the afternoon, we take a drive towards Venice to see the 17th and 18th century country villas built by rich Venetians along the Brenta River. There are dozens of them but it is hard to stop to take many pictures.
I had hoped to get a glimpse of one of the most famous...the Villa Malcontenta Foscari in Mira...but the gate was closed and the villa was hidden in the trees. Here's someone else's photo.
By Peter Geymayer - Own work, Public Domain
I do get a nice shot of a poppy field along the water
as well as a very tall, slender Venetian bell tower in Dolo.
As we approach Padova on the way home, the rain starts coming down and it continues all evening. We get a bit wet on the way to dinner at L'Anfora, a very rustic trattoria just down the street. Dinner is fun...the place is lively, the waitresses are friendly even though very busy. The main obstacle is deciphering the handwritten menu but, with the help of one of the waitresses, we are able to put together our order.
I have one of the best plates of spaghetti alla vongole ever, followed by a tasty dish of trippa alla veneziana. Diana has tagliatelle with asparagus which is just okay. L'Anfora is a marked contrast to our dinner yesterday....and we prefer this style.
It is not raining anymore as we walk home through quiet streets.
Jim and Diana
Zurers in Italy 2025: Tuesday, May 13: Day 20: Padova: Part 1
We have a busy morning planned....our first stop is Il Salone of the Palazzo della Ragione, located above the covered market and between the Piazza della Frutta and the Piazza della Erbe.
The vast room--considered the one of the largest unsupported spaces in Europe--it is almost the length of an American football field and 75 feet high. Originally built in the late 13th century, the room was expanded and a roof--shaped like the hull of a boat--was added in 1306.
For many years, it housed the government and courts of Padova. Now it is a tourist attraction and the venue for temporary exhibitions and conferences. The walls are covered with frescoes illustrating diverse subjects--astrological symbols, allegories and myths, and the seasons of the year.
A gigantic wooden horse dominates one part of the room and a Foucault pendulum is on the other side.
Cleaning the floor is a little like painting the Golden Gate Bridge....once you finish, it needs to be done again immediately.
You get a good view over the fruit market stalls from the balcony with a decorated ceiling.
Diana gets points for walking up and down the long staircase...apparently there is no elevator available. Brava!!
We walk through the covered part of the market....lots of butchers, salume purveyors, fish stalls, etc. whose products are artfully displayed. It's quite impressive as well as mouth-watering.
While walking in the market, someone in a tour group calls out our names; a couple of my work colleagues--Chris and Harvey Ollis from the Department of Labor--are on a Rick Steves tour in Padova. After getting over our delighted surprise, we make a date to meet them later for lunch.
Our next stop is at the Palazzo Bo, one of the oldest buildings housing the University of Padova. The university, one of the oldest in Europe, was founded in 1222 by students and teachers from Bologna who were looking for more academic freedom. Palazzo Bo only dates back to 1493.
Photo credit By Simonosa - on Wikicommons
We are taking a group tour and we learn a lot about the history of the university before we tour some of the rooms. The richly decorated Aula Magna is one of the largest halls and the walls are covered with the coats of arms of past students and faculty.
The ceiling is richly decorated....
and features a portrait of Galileo, who taught here from 1592 to 1610.
The most famous attraction in the Palazzo Bo is the anatomical theater that dates back to 1594. I am disappointed because we are only able to view the theater from the bottom and it feels like being in the bottom of a wide well.
This is the view I wanted to see.
Photo credit Marco Chemello - Wikicommons
The university has consistently been ranked in the top tier of centers of learning and is also known as being a place where Jews could study, even back in the Middle Ages. It is also famous for graduating the first woman--Elena Cornaro Piscopia--in 1678 with a degree in philosophy.
There are currently 60,000 students at the university - no wonder the streets of Padova are filled with young people. And Diana again is confronted by a long set of stairs but meets the challenge. Bravissima!!!
We meet Chris and Harvey back at the fruit market and walk over to have lunch near our hotel. We sit outside and have an enjoyable time discussing mutual friends and travel. They have been to Italy frequently and are now taking their fifth Rick Steves tour.
End of Part 1
Zurers in Italy 2025: Tuesday, May 13: Day 20: Padova: Part 2
After our leisurely lunch, Diana returns to the room to sew and rest.
[For my quilting aficionados: I'd finished all the log cabin blocks at home and had laid them out in the correct order. In Italy I have been working on piecing the sashing strips. So many little triangles! Here are the top 2 rows sewn together: 2 more to go, which I won't finish here. But I think it's looking good. dz]
I set out on another exploratory walk. This 13th century monument is said to contain the remains of the Trojan warrior Antenore, a counselor to King Priam of Troy.
In fact, it doesn't--the remains date to the 3rd or 4th century A.D. but the Padovani like to promote the myth of a connection to the Trojan War.
I also admire some very Venetian-style building facades across the street from the tomb.
I end up at the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua, known locally as "Il Santo", one of the most visited pilgrimage churches in the world. St. Anthony was a 13th century Portuguese Franciscan friar who is known for his devotion to the poor.
The building is massive and its architectural style is described in Wikipedia as "an architectural amalgamation, reflecting Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine styles. Its domes are reminiscent of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, while the twin bell towers bear resemblance to Arab minarets."
The interior of the basilica is the exact opposite of the Padua Duomo in style--there is absolutely no lack of restraint. The high altar was designed by Donatello
and there are colorful frescoes everywhere, some attributed to very well-known Italian artists.
There is virtually no surface left untouched in the basilica. The most visited part of the church is the very elaborate tomb of Saint Anthony which is in stark contrast to his work with the poor and downtrodden.
But the lines of worshippers who file past the tomb, leaving photos and other mementos and kissing the marble surface, seem genuinely reverent in their devotion.
Quite an experience...even for a non-believer.
When I get back, we go out for a short stroll in the late afternoon sun. We walk over to the fancy gelateria Venchi on Via Roma--a big pedestrian only shopping street. They are promoting their new "Mediterranean" flavors, including parmigiano-reggiano and olive oil. I want to try the parmigiano though I am very dubious about it. One taste is all I need to decide that it doesn't work for me and I choose more traditional flavors--coffee and stracciatella--which are delicious. (Diana abstains.)
We pop into a church on the Via Roma...the interior design isn't appealing to us but there is a 15th century wooden crucifix in a side chapel..the work of the Florentine sculpture Donatello...which is definitely worth a look.
We have dinner tonight at Da Capo, another Slow Food recommended trattoria in the neighborhood. Dinner is good but not an "experience". We share a dish of ravioli with a tomato sauce. Diana really likes her fegato alla veneziana (liver with onions) but my baccala is not successful. For dessert, I try a panna cotta-like local specialty called latte al piedi (standing milk is the common translation) which is made with milk instead of cream. I missed the cream...
Tomorrow we have tickets to the Scrovegni Chapel to see the Giotto frescoes.
Jim and Diana
Pauline
Forums Admin
Lovely quilt! I like Log Cabin style. I knit a Log Cabin blanket that we use all the time in winter.
Zurers in Italy 2025: Wednesday, May 14: Day 21: Padova
Happy birthday to Diana....she has celebrated her birthday in Italy almost every year since 1993, except during the pandemic and a very few other years. As usual, the family has arranged to have birthday flowers delivered and it is traditional to post a picture of the birthday girl with the bouquet.
It's another sunny, slightly cool morning. We are going to the Scrovegni Chapel to see the Giotto frescoes today and we decide to visit the Museo Eremitani (the Padova Civic Museum)--they are connected--before the Giotto. We move through the archeological museum quickly...there are some attractive Roman mosaics
and a 2nd c. statuette of a priest from Mesopotamia is striking and nicely displayed. I also like this Roman carving of a chariot.
We want to wander around the pinacoteca (picture gallery) so we find the elevator and roam through the chronologically arranged galleries. Some of the portraits on display are particularly fine
I am always pleased to find another Last Supper to add to my "collection"...this one painted by the 16th century artist known as Romanino.
And I am including a few more of the works that caught my eye on our stroll through the collection.
Now it's time for the main event. The Giotto frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel were done at the beginning of the 1300s and are considered a major development in art and the beginning of the Renaissance in painting. Since the frescoes are so vulnerable, all visitors in each timed reservation group are seated in an "air lock"--a buffer zone--for 15 minutes that filters out pollutants, etc. While there, a film is shown detailing the history of the Chapel and giving a very clear explanation of the significance of the frescoes as well detailing the storyline of the panels--the lives of Mary and Christ.
The effect as you enter the Chapel for your allotted 15 minutes is striking....it is like being enveloped in film but the images don't move. The sidewalls are completely covered with three tiers of frescoed panels which tell the story in chronological order. The ends of the Chapel are frescoed with a large depiction of the Last Judgement in all its details--both glorious and gory.
I am including some of my photos but they don't do justice to the experience of stepping into this world of art that is considered to have influenced artists for centuries to come.
I am happy to add another Last Supper to my collection.
Here are a couple of links to websites that will give you a better sense of the Chapel's art and significance.
https://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/index.php/it/la-cappella-di-giotto
https://smarthistory.org/the-arena-chapel-and-giottos-frescos-in-virtual-reality
There is a good reason that the Giotto frescoes are so famous and why the Scrovegni Chapel is the biggest tourist attraction in Padova.
On the way out of the museum, I just happen to notice two stone tablets with Hebrew inscriptions.
We have lunch at a nearby restaurant cleverly named Ca'Pelleti....and they feature capelleti (small filled pastas) on their very flashy menu. We enjoy our lunch sitting outside....I have an excellent piadina with sundried tomatoes, burrata cheese, and rucola and Diana likes her combination plate of cheese filled ravioli, prosciutto, and rucola.
I look at the map and see that we are not that far from our hotel so we decide to walk back...it gives Diana a chance to see some of the streets that I have discovered during my explorations. And it significantly increases her step total for the day.....
The rest of the day is pretty quiet....resting, Diana does some piecing, and I catch up on some email. We do take a gelato break later in the afternoon and I notice for the first time two "stumbling stones--stolpersteine in German, pietre d'inciampo in Italian" right outside our hotel.
These brass markers are embedded in the street pavement outside the homes of Jews and others who were killed in concentration camps by the Nazis during World War II. It's part of a memorial project started by a German artist Gunter Demnig in 1992 and has spread all over Europe. According to the internet, there are now more than 100,000 of the markers.
We have dinner at an unusual place called Gourmetteria, a short walk outside our neighborhood. It is a combination kitchen and food shop with restaurant tables scattered through the space. The unusual decor is bright and airy, which Diana finds somewhat disconcerting.
Photo credit Barbara Oggero
We share a Venetian arancino--a fried rice ball filled with peas. Diana has a local pasta speciality--an enormous dish of bigoli with anchovies and onions--which she likes but barely makes a dent. My Venetian specialty--liver with onions--is very good.
Back at our hotel room we find a chilled bottle of prosecco, 2 glasses artfully arranged and a charming birthday note from the hotel.
Tomorrow we plan to make a quick visit to Venice.
Jim and Diana
NOTE: I will just insert a comment here that, as much as we are enjoying Padova, we are finding the cuisine somewhat limiting for our tastes. For example, the Venetians/Padovani love sweet and sour (saor), and there is a lot of horse, donkey, and various kinds of squid on menus, Often we are able to find only a few dishes that we are eager to try, so we have ended up ordering many of the same things in the various restaurants. Even when we like a dish--beef tartare is everywhere--there are only so many times you want to order it. The best dish I have had here was my spaghetti alle vongole and that is not typical of the area and only appeared on one restaurant's menu.
Pauline
Forums Admin
Happy Birthday Diana!
Is that priest anatomically correct or is it my imagination?
I would love to see these but how strange to be de-contaminated before! Thanks for the photos and the link to more detail.
JMichael
100+ Posts
Happy birthday, Diana. We visited the Scrovegni Chapel last October and were awed by it. As I understand it, the de-contamination room is also designed to reduce humidity to protect the frescos. I'm not sure why, but the colors don't show properly in photos. We would have spent all day there if allowed.
Zurers in Italy 2025: Thursday, May 15: Day 22: Padova
We haven't visited Venice since 2013 so, since we are so close, we decide to make a quick visit. We drive to Fusina, on the mainland, where there is a big parking lot and an hourly ferry boat to Venice. We get to Fusina without difficulty--driving through a very industrial area--but the ferry landing is not well marked and we have to ask to actually find it. Here's the view from the dock
which is right next door to the new cruise port; the authorities are trying to keep the large cruise ships out of Venice proper
The ferry takes about 20 minutes...just the right amount of time for a sea journey in my opinion. The approach to Venice by water is always thrilling.
We get off at the Zattere, the long promenade along the Giudecca Canal and start to walk. We find ourselves right in front of the Pensione Calcina, the hotel where we stayed on our first visit to Venice in 1993.
As we approach the first bridge on our walk, we see that the city has installed a ramp next to the stairs...a welcome addition for Diana. We also note that some of the bridges now have handrails which are also helpful.
We stroll around the sestiere of Dorsoduro and are surprised to find the streets very quiet with very few people...we had heard that Venice would be very crowded. The only place where we see a lot of people is on the Accademia Bridge, one of the three large bridges that span the Grand Canal. Of course, we didn't get to San Marco or the Rialto which might well have been mobbed.
We still find Venice magical....and a photographer's delight. Everywhere you turn there is something of interest.
We decide to look for a place to have lunch and, from across a canal, I see a garden through a wrought iron gate with a sign advertising the Arte Bar Cucina.
We cross the bridge, go into the pleasant garden set with tables, and decide to stay.
The cafe is part of an art project called the Scuola Piccolo Zattere which is a non-profit space for research and continuing education in the expanded field of contemporary arts.
https://www.scuolapiccolazattere.com/la-scuola
Our meal is very pleasant....we have an assortment of salumi and cheese with a freshly baked round of pizza dough. The cafe is a nice discovery which proves that sometimes just trying an attractive place that you happen upon works out just fine.
After lunch we continue our stroll, aiming for the Presbytery of San Sebastiano. For the Daniel Silva fans reading this, the church figures prominently in his 2014 novel "The Heist". In the novel, Gabriel Allon has been hired to restore the Veronese altarpiece in the church--"Virgin and Child in Glory with Saints Sebastian, Francis, Peter, John the Baptist, Catherine, and Elizabeth."
It's a small church but crammed with many paintings....including more Veronese and a Titian.
The ceiling is decorated with several works that relate the story of Esther
but we haven't yet been able to make out the sequences of the story on the ceiling.
The Titian is a portrait of St. Nicholas of Bari
and there is a painting of Jonah and the Whale that I send to our grandson Jonah.
It's time to catch the return ferry for Fusina and we are back in Padova by 4 pm....it was a very good excursion.
I take a final walk through yet another section of Padova...near where we had stayed on a previous visit. I walk through the large park--the Prato della Valle--which is full of people just hanging out in the middle of the fountains, bridges, and statues.
On the way back, I come across a nice river view and an unusually painted house.
We have dinner in the neighborhood at a pleasant osteria/wine bar called La Boccia...Venetian dialect for bottle. The server is extremely charming but the meal is not a success. Diana's paccheri cacio e pepe is too al dente and my portion of liver is good but overwhelming. My other dish was unusual...baked boiled potatoes with cheese and bacon...potato carbonara. Strange but good....
Tomorrow we leave Padova for Mantova. (Diana claims that every morning the Cole Porter lyrics from Kiss Me Kate - We open in Venice ... then Mantua, then Padua - are in her head when she wakes up.)
Jim and Diana
Zurers in Italy 2025: Friday, May 16: Day 23: Padova-Mantova
Time to get on the road. We say goodbye to the staff at the Hotel Majestic Toscanelli--they have been very friendly and accommodating and we really liked the hotel, especially the location. I get the car from the hotel garage...it is located a few blocks away and one of the hotel staff accompanies me every time--mostly (I think) to help me back into the parking space without hitting a pillar. (One of the staff--Amir from Iran--is especially personable and we have interesting discussions about Iranian films.)
We take local roads and the drive is not the most scenic...this area of Italy has a lot of industry and we see many factories and other businesses along the way. We do pass a few attractive towns--Monteselice and Montagnara--but mainly we are seeing agricultural fields, businesses, and, near the bigger towns, suburban sprawl and modern shopping centers.
We stop for lunch at a local chain--La Piadineria (a piadina is the local flatbread that is the base for sandwiches). It sits right next to a large McDonalds.
It is set up like many modern fast food restaurants, complete with a kiosk for ordering. (We try to use it but fail and have to resort to ordering in person.) We think the sandwiches are quite good...better than the American-style alternatives.
In Mantova we get to the hotel garage without a problem. It's located on a narrow street two blocks from the hotel, and the procedure is to call the hotel for someone to come over to open the garage, help us park, explain everything and then also help with the luggage. I anticipate a problem making the turn into the garage entrance but I must be getting better at it and make it without difficulty. Our hotel--the Grand Hotel San Lorenzo--is located right in the middle of the historic and tourist district so it would be very hard to bring the car right up to the front door.
This is our fourth visit to Mantova but the last one was in 2014. We actually had stayed at this hotel on one of the earlier trips but it has been completely remodelled and renovated since then. We unpack and I go out for a reconnaissance walk and to check out a place for dinner.
Since this is our fourth time in town, everything feels familiar as I walk through the town. It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon and there is also a food science fair in town with tents and exhibits scattered through the streets, so there are lots of people walking around, having drinks, and eating gelato. I find a place for dinner and make a reservation.
Diana joins me and we continue our stroll through the large Piazza Sordello which is dominated by the Ducale Palace of the Gonzaga family who ruled Mantova for four centuries starting in 1308. During their rule, Mantova became an important artistic and intellectual center and much of the city still reflects their influence.
In the Piazza delle Erbe (the market square) next to our hotel, this round church was built in the 13th century and the astronomical clock tower dates to the 15th century.
We take the elevator to the roof of our hotel where there is a nice terrace with a great view of the dome of the basilica.
We have a very pleasant dinner at the Piccola Osteria Andes...the people are welcoming, the room is attractive, and the food is mostly very good. I order the risotto alla pilota, a Mantova speciality, which is a rice and salami dish, much drier than a traditional risotto. It had been my favorite on previous trips and I am happy to have it again. Diana's choice--billed as a cheese mousse coated with pistachio--unexpectedly turns out to be three balls of very dense and rich cheese meant to be spread on crostini...not what we are expecting. We then split a very good dish of fritto misto.
Tomorrow is our vacation from the vacation...nothing is scheduled.
Jim and Diana
Zurers in Italy 2025: Saturday, May 17: Day 24: Mantova
Today is "our vacation from the vacation"...usually it occurs closer to the middle of a trip but we have nothing scheduled for the day--no excursions, no museums, just hanging out and taking it easy.
After breakfast, we go out for a short stroll around the center, stop for a "spremuta arancia" (fresh squeezed orange juice), and people watch for a while. We then go up to the hotel's roof terrace and Diana sews while we enjoy the views over the city.
We eat lunch on the roof...I go to a nearby sandwich place for a piadina and we also finish the cherries and strawberries we had bought on the drive yesterday. While Diana stays on the roof, I take a walk around a different part of Mantova. I get to the waterfront--Mantova is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by lakes formed in the 12th century for defensive purposes. Now there are boat excursions on the lake and a pretty lakeside trail for biking and walking.
Here is a random selection of what I saw on my walk.
On the way back, I walk through the Parco Virgiliano....the poet Virgil was born in Mantua.
I hope the gelato in this shop is worth the wait....
Before dinner, we go back up to the roof to have some prosecco at the open air bar and enjoy the weather.
We have dinner at another Slow Food recommended trattoria--Ai Ranari--which is a short walk from the hotel. On the way, I notice a sticker in a window and do a double take.
We double back and see this business card on the building.
We will do some research after dinner.
Dinner is very good. It is apparently a local hangout and the place fills up soon after we are seated. Service is pleasant and very efficient. We share a plate of ham and salami with gnocco fritto--I am always happy to order that when available. Diana orders the local specialty- risotto alla pilota which is very tasty and I have a local pasta dish--bigoli with cheese and guanciale--which is excellent though pretty rich. We have no room for dessert.
Back in the hotel room, I do some internet sleuthing and find not only the webpage of the quilter but the web page of a quilt (called patchwork in Italy) and fabric store in Mantova. Hopefully, we will make contact with the quilting community of Mantova in the next few days.
Jim and Diana
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Yes...all the towns have been good....It's possible that we have overstayed Diana's tolerance for travel by a few days. She has been pretty tired.
Tell Steve that Romeo was exiled to Mantua....but there is nothing here that plays on that fictional development.
We have written to the Mantova quilter but haven't heard back yet.....It would be fun if it works out.
Tell Steve that Romeo was exiled to Mantua....but there is nothing here that plays on that fictional development.
We have written to the Mantova quilter but haven't heard back yet.....It would be fun if it works out.
Zurers in Italy 2025: Sunday, May 18: Day 25: Mantova
Another sunny day...we have been very fortunate with the weather on this trip--it's been a bit cooler than usual but we have had little rain during our stay. I was reading through my reports from our last visit to Mantova in 2014 and found that my thoughts from then still hold true today.
This is our third visit to Mantova--16 years and 10 years ago--and we are pleased to return. The city is one of those medium sized Italian cities that feel bigger and more sophisticated than one expects. Historically this was the city of the Gonzaga family who were very tuned into the arts and were vigorous promoters of music, painting, etc. This tradition has carried down to the present. The historic center is quite extensive, there is a pleasant modern downtown and there are many museums, art galleries, churches and other sights (the Mincio River is dammed up creating three "lakes" that give the city a long waterfront) to keep you busy. It is also well known for its food culture--many restaurants featuring local specialties.
So we are happy to be back with no obligation to redo all the sights but to relax and just enjoy being here.
After breakfast (very crowded and noisy this morning), we do a bit of sightseeing. We pop inside the 12th century church next door--Rotonda di San Lorenzo--a unique circular plan with remnants of frescoes on the walls.
Outside the church, we watch a hardworking woman who is entertaining the kids with a gigantic bubble "machine." She also sells the long balloons that the children use to bat the bubbles.
There couldn't be a bigger contrast between the Rotonda di San Lorenzo and the Basilica of Sant'Andrea located right across the piazza. The Basilica was designed by Leon Battista Alberti, one the foremost architects of the Renaissance period. It is huge both outside and in and we find it quite overwhelming.
The building on the site dates from the 13th century but it was rebuilt in its current configuration in the 15th century. The dome was added two hundred years later.
Inside, the space is vast and the walls and chapels are covered with frescoes and paintings...however much of the interior is so dark it's hard to see very much. Over the altar, there is a vivid fresco depicting the crucifixion of Sant'Andrea
and there is a large fresco--the Glory of Paradise--in the dome.
There is a tour that climbs to the cupola and goes outside the dome for views over the city; I am tempted to do it but am a bit fearful of the heights. The tomb of Andrea Mantegna, the famous artist who spent time in the city, is in one of the chapels but it is too dark to see much. The Basilica is said to contain vials of the blood of Christ, collected by a Roman soldier from Christ's tomb, which are brought out once a year and paraded around the city.
We set out to visit the Teatro Bibiena where Mozart had played as a boy. Unfortunately, we see that it is closed for renovations. We had a memorable experience when we first visited the theater--we were treated to an impromptu rehearsal by the Mantova Chamber Orchestra. No such luck this year....
We continue on to the lakefront and sit on a bench in the sun watching the bikers, joggers, and walkers go by. There is a lone fisherman on the bank who is not having much luck.
Lunch is some pretty good pizza a tavola (by the slice) on the main square. After lunch, Diana does some shopping and then goes to the room to rest, while I take another walk around the city.
The Astronomical Clock Tower is open to visitors.
On the various levels in the tower, you can read about its history (it dates back to the 15th century and has been restored and fixed a number of times since then), see the actual mechanical workings of the clock
and walk through a fascinating history of the measure of time. The panels are in Italian but, with the help of Google translate, I am able to read the descriptions.
The visit is topped off for me with fantastic views over the city from the highest floor.
On the way out, I stop in this vast room (similar to Il Salone in Padova) with frescoes on either end.
We have dinner at an elegant restaurant on the Piazza della Erbe, next to the clock tower. We have the dining room to ourselves and have one of the best meals of the trip. We share a plate of carpaccio, Diana has an excellent dish of ravioli cacio pepe, garnished with bits of pears, and my mezze maniche (medium-sized pasta tubes) with an osso buco sauce is terrific as well. Very satisfying....
We are hoping to hear from Benedetta the quilter....
Jim and Diana
Zurers in Italy 2025: Monday, May 19: Day 26: Mantova
Diana is able to contact the Mantova quilter and arranges for us to go to her studio later this afternoon.
We get in the car for our return visit to Borghetto, where we had such a memorable meal on the river in 2014. But we plan to stop first at the Palazzo Te, a grand Gonzaga palace filled with the most spectacular frescoes done by the local artist and architect Giuliano Romano. I drop Diana at the entrance and find a parking space right next door. However, Diana is told at the ticket office that they are filming a television show today and tomorrow and many of the rooms will be blocked off from visitors. (All spoken in Italian but she's pretty sure that was the gist of it and the area is indeed full of huge TV tucks.) Since we have seen the frescoes twice before, we decide to skip it and take the slow route on backroads to Borghetto.
Our drive takes us through the Parco del Mincio, which covers both banks of the Mincio River. There are many farms growing a variety of crops--corn, wheat, rice, soybeans, and fruit. We also pass a sign for a caviar farm...the industry dates back to the late 1990's and Italy is now one of the largest producer of beluga caviar in the world. Who knew????
https://caviar.it/en/pages/cru-caviar-experience
I also notice signs in the park pointing to areas where one can find "cicogne bianche" (white storks). We keep our eyes open and do come across some birds sitting in a field.
But when I search on google, I find that these are white egrets, not storks. However, this is a big area for the storks and there is even a stork reintroduction center in the park.
https://www.parcodelmincio.it/pagina.php?id=30
The scenery changes dramatically as we approach Borghetto. We leave the flat plain and drive through an area of rolling hills and dense green forests; it almost looks like Tuscany. We soon reach Borghetto and park the car. The lot is right next to the Antica Locanda Mincio, where we had eaten eleven years ago. We ask for a table by the river and are seated in the exact place as on our previous visit.
2014
2025
We are very pleased to be able to repeat the experience which was so memorable. The food is also good...we share a plate of salumi, Diana has a whole grilled branzino which is excellent, and my luccio (local pike) is fine. It's so pleasant that we sit for a while after eating, enjoying the view and our memories. Then we walk across the bridge into the very touristy but somehow charming "business" section of town--restaurants, cafes, expensive shops, and small hotels--which is bustling on this sunny spring day.
The setting is beyond picturesque....medieval bridge, castle on the hill, tranquil river scene--almost too perfect.
An excellent trip down memory lane....
Back in Mantova, we walk over to meet Benedetta Cantoni, the quilter. Fortunately, her twenty-something daughter who speaks English very well is there to translate. She shows us around her studio--she has a massive long-arm quilter, a big workspace, and lots of shelves to hold her fabric. She shows Diana some of her work and Diana shares what she is working on, as well as showing pictures of other quilts. Benedetta marvels that Diana does everything by hand. They discover a shared interest in the Dear Jane quilt...Diana has made one that hangs in our apartment and Benedetta has the blocks she has made thus far inserted in the pages of the Dear Jane book. Benedetta has published a number of instructional quilt books and Diana buys one to take home.
We decide that we will have dinner, even after our lunch in Borghetto, so we walk to Trattoria Leoncino Rosso just up the street. I figured that restaurants would be empty today after all the crowds from the weekend had left town. But the place is very busy in spite of that. We are seated immediately but it's a mom and pop and son operation so we have a long wait for our order to arrive. Luckily we are not starving.....
I have a plate of cotechino sausage with very tasty beans and Diana likes her cotoletta Milanese (breaded veal cutlet). I drink a lot of the house wine while waiting. We decide to stop at a gelateria on the way back to the hotel but none are open at 9 pm. But we do see why the service took a long time...these are the outdoor tables of the restaurant.
Another atmospheric evening photo of the Palazzo della Ragione on our route back to the hotel.
Tomorrow is our last day in Mantova and our next to last day in Italy for this trip.
Jim and Diana
PS I am intrigued by these two liter bottles of water placed next to building entrances.
I ask at the hotel and am told that the bottles discourage dogs from relieving themselves there.
Zurers in Italy 2025: Tuesday, May 20: Day 27: Mantova
Our last day in Mantova...the sky is overcast and rain is predicted--the traditional sign that our vacation is almost over.
We decide to visit the village of Sabbioneta, about a half hour away from Mantova, which was planned by one of the Gonzaga dukes as an ideal city during the Renaissance. Many of the buildings have been preserved and the town now functions as a museum. We've been here before but it's time for another visit. There are not many tourists, but although there's a big bicycle group in town, we are able to drive right into the center. The Palazzo Ducale is the largest building set on the biggest square. Built in 1578, it is now the Civic Museum and many frescoes and amazing ceilings have been preserved. (My photos don't pick up how dark and rich the wood carving in the ceilings really are.)
A large hall displays statues of the Duke and his retinue on horseback with vivid frescoes on the walls.
There are two exhibitions being shown in the Palace as well. One room is devoted to a very well translated series of posters explaining the relationship between the Gonzagas and the Jews of Mantova. The Jews of the city originally were able to live and work relatively freely because the Gonzaga were welcoming but as the city came under foreign influences the ghetto was created. Our hotel in Mantova is located right in the middle of the former ghetto.
Most of the other rooms in the Palazzo are filled with recreations of fancy 16th century dress copied from paintings of the period. Diana is fascinated by the displays, each one richer and more elaborate than the last.
One of the recreations is copied from a Titian painting.
The final rooms are devoted to local Sabbioneta artists and there are some nice watercolors of some of the locations in the city.
We walk down the block to the Teatro Olimpico, said to be one of the first freestanding theater buildings in Europe. Built in 1590, it reminds us of Palladio's Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.
On our way to the new Synagogue, we pass this painted church within the main square.
The Jewish community in Sabbioneta dates to the 16th century...they were welcomed by the ruling Duke Vespasiano Gonzaga and played an important role in the town's history for many years. The synagogue was rebuilt in 1824 to establish the Sabbioneta community's independence from the Mantova Jewish community. The museum is nicely put together with good explanations of the history of Jews in the area and lots of Judaica--torahs, prayer shawls, etc.
The sanctuary is fairly simple and relatively modern. The original ark from the synagogue is now displayed in Jerusalem.
Although there are more sights on the Sabbioneta itinerary, we decide to call it a day and have lunch at a trattoria a few steps from the synagogue. The Osteria Borgo Ventidue is a find....the dining room is up a flight of stairs (Diana has been getting a workout from the stairs in the Palace and synagogue today....the town's historical preservation rules doesn't allow for elevators to be installed.) We are the only customers but the meal is terrific and the waitress is lovely. We share a plate of delicious prosciutto and fresh mozzarella followed by a tris (combination plate) of tortelli for Diana and tripe soup with potatoes and beans for me. The fagiolini (thin green beans) are also excellent. We have some local wine--white Lugana for Diana and red Valpolicella for me--and are very content.
After we return to the hotel, it rains on and off for the rest of the afternoon so we stay in the room, read, and watch some television. We are undecided about dinner after a sizable lunch but I am anxious to return to the restaurant on the market square where I had my first risotto alla pilota years ago. The Cento Rampini is a handsome restaurant...with white table cloths and cloth napkins.
We are very glad that we did go....the dish was as good as I remembered and definitely the best version we have had on the trip--richer and more savory. This version is topped with a small piece of rib sticking out of the rice.
Diana takes this opportunity to have a last sbrisolona...the dessert specialty of Mantova. The only downside to the meal is that it is now pouring and we don't have umbrellas. But we walk part of the way under the portico and stay close to the buildings and only get wet when we have to cross the street....
Tomorrow we will leave Mantova and stay near Malpensa Airport for our flight home on Thursday.
Jim and Diana