In the south-eastern part of Lombardy, on the border with Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, lies the new destination of our journey through Italy’s business landscape: Mantua.
This new stop on our journey through the Italy of enterprises offers us the opportunity to explore one of Lombardy’s most historic cities, of Etruscan origin and brought to its greatest splendour by the Gonzaga family.
History and tradition: a journey into Mantua’s rich past
Mantua’s origins are very ancient, dating back to the Etruscan era between the 6th and 5th centuries BC. In the 3rd century BC the city entered Rome’s sphere of influence and experienced a period of integration into the Roman world. During this time Mantua gave birth to the poet Virgil (70 BC), one of the most important figures in Latin literature.
With the fall of the Roman Empire, Mantua was marked by various invasions and dominations, including those of the Lombards. In 804 it was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne. From the 11th century onwards it emerged as a free commune, taking part in the political and military dynamics typical of medieval cities in northern Italy.
A decisive turning point came in 1328, when power passed to the Gonzaga family. Under this dynasty Mantua reached its greatest splendour. In 1530 it became a duchy and established itself as one of the most refined Renaissance courts in Europe. The Gonzagas attracted leading artists and intellectuals such as Andrea Mantegna, Leon Battista Alberti and Giulio Romano, who left a profound mark on the city’s urban layout and artistic heritage.
With the end of the Gonzaga dynasty in 1707, Mantua came under the rule of the Austrian Habsburgs and assumed a predominantly military role, becoming a strategic fortress within the defensive system known as the Quadrilateral. This military character remained until the Risorgimento, when in 1866 the city was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.
In recent decades Mantua has progressively enhanced its extraordinary historical and artistic heritage, until in 2008 its historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, confirming the city as one of Italy’s cultural gems.
The origin of the name Mantua is very ancient and uncertain, but the most credible hypothesis traces it back to the Etruscan period. The toponym likely derives from Mantus (or Manth), an Etruscan deity associated with the world of the dead and the afterlife. Mantua would therefore originally have been a sacred place connected to religious cults, also due to its location in a marshy area associated with the idea of a boundary between the world of the living and that of the dead.
This explanation was already known in Roman times: Virgil, in Book X of the Aeneid, recalls Mantua as a city founded by Ocnus, son of the god Mantus and the prophetess Manto. It is from Manto that the poet derives the city’s name, reinforcing the mythological and religious link of the toponym.
Over time the name evolved from the Latin Mantua to the current Mantova, maintaining remarkable historical continuity.
What to see in Mantua: from Palazzo Te to the Bibiena Theatre and more
Mantua is known for its many palaces, most of them built thanks to the Gonzaga family—but not only.
One of the most famous is the Ducal Palace, the residence of the Gonzagas from 1328 to 1707. Given its size (over 500 rooms), it is more accurate to speak of a “palace-city.” It consists of several interconnected buildings and, by extension, is the second-largest royal residence in Europe after Vatican City. The original nucleus consisted of the Palazzo del Capitano and the Magna Domus, but with the arrival of the Gonzagas the complex expanded with new buildings and gardens, all richly decorated, leading to its present form.
Among its most celebrated works is the Camera degli Sposi (or Camera Picta). Located in the Castle of San Giorgio, it was frescoed by Andrea Mantegna between 1465 and 1474 and is dedicated to Ludovico III Gonzaga and his wife Barbara of Brandenburg. One wall of the room features portraits of the family, while another celebrates the dynastic line. A further peculiarity is the presence of three signatures by Mantegna in the background.
Another must-see is Palazzo Te, which probably takes its name from the nearby island of Teieto. Commissioned by Federico II Gonzaga from Giulio Romano as a place of leisure and tranquillity, it was completed in 1524. It is renowned for its architecture but owes much of its fame to the Hall of the Giants and the Hall of Cupid and Psyche: two frescoed rooms created using a special perspective technique that covers the entire surface—from floor to ceiling—making the viewer feel part of the artwork.
In addition to its many palaces, Mantua is also home to several historic houses, including the House of Andrea Mantegna, where the painter lived while working for the Gonzagas, and the House of Rigoletto, the character from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera of the same name, where a sculpture dedicated to him by Aldo Falchi can be found.
Walking through the city, between palaces and historic houses, one reaches the Scientific Theatre of Bibiena. It is named after the Parmese architect Antonio Galli Bibiena, who designed and built it between 1767 and 1769. The term “scientific” was chosen by the rector of the Accademia dei Timidi, Count Carlo Ottavio di Colloredo, to host mainly scientific meetings. It is still the seat of the National Virgilian Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts. The theatre is also famous for a musical anecdote: just weeks after its inauguration, it hosted a concert by a very young Mozart, already a musical prodigy at only thirteen years old.
Finally, a unique and evocative site is the Loggia delle Pescherie, designed by Giulio Romano in 1536. Today it is a picturesque location for photographs, but it was once used for the fish trade from the Po River and the lakes of Mantua. It consisted of two arcades with attics built around the medieval bridge overlooking the Rio, of which only one remains. Mantua, therefore, is not only a city of history and palaces; it was described by Montesquieu as “a second Venice.”
What to eat in Mantua: from pumpkin tortelli to rose cake
Mantua and its surrounding area are rich in dishes to enjoy, thanks to a culinary tradition that blends rural simplicity with the aristocratic heritage of the Gonzagas, creating a truly unique variety of foods.
Among the first courses are tortelli di zucca, fresh egg pasta filled with sweet Mantuan pumpkin, enriched with fruit mostarda for a spicy contrast, amaretti biscuits and nutmeg. They are typical of Christmas and usually served with butter and sage, though many variations exist.
Another symbolic dish of humble cuisine is riso alla pilota, whose name likely derives from the “piloti”, the farmers who operated the pila, a manual mortar used to clean rice. It is a very simple first course based on Vialone Nano PGI rice, seasoned with pork sausage (known locally as pistùm or pistume) and finished with butter and Parmigiano.
Among the main courses, stracotto d’asino must be mentioned. Typical of winter, it is a hearty staple of Mantuan cuisine: donkey meat (sometimes replaced with beef), marinated with herbs and cooked for at least three hours in wine—usually local Lambrusco—served with polenta or mashed potatoes. A must on cold days.
No meal would be complete without dessert, and Mantua is especially known for two cakes. The symbol of the city is the sbrisolona, a rustic farmers’ cake made with cornmeal, almonds and lard, later enriched with butter and sugar. Its name comes from the verb sbrìsular, “to crumble”, because it is broken by hand rather than cut with a knife.
Another must-try dessert is torta delle rose, whose shape resembles a bouquet of flowers. It is a leavened butter dough filled with cream, jam or sugar. Legend has it that it was first created in 1490 on commission from Isabella d’Este, wife of Francesco Gonzaga, to celebrate her beauty, and it has become another culinary symbol of the city.
Mantua’s businesses: manufacturing tradition and industry looking to the future with ultra-broadband
Today, from an industrial perspective, companies in the Mantua area are best known for specialised manufacturing strongly rooted in the territory but with a strong export orientation. The agri-food sector has also developed significantly, becoming a benchmark for dairy production (with a special mention for Grana Padano), as well as for cured meats and cereals.
Until the late 19th century, the Mantuan area was almost exclusively agricultural, organised around the great plain, land reclamation and the first rural cooperatives. After the Second World War, industrialisation profoundly transformed the local economy: alongside agri-food, a strong mechanical sector developed. From the 1980s onwards, the model consolidated into a network of specialised small and medium-sized enterprises oriented toward subcontracting and export, while some historic sectors such as textiles reduced their weight. Today the Mantuan production system is based on technical expertise, local supply chains and strong integration with external markets.
Among the many companies in the Mantua industrial area is Mantovani Legno, specialising in wood production and manufacturing. Founded in 1974 by Umberto Mantovani and his son Maurizio, the company has expanded its production over the years, opening a new plant in 2011. Since 2023 it has focused heavily on modernising facilities, with particular attention to next-generation technologies to improve production processes.
Another company is Idromeccanica Lucchini SpA, specialising in greenhouses and technological systems for agriculture and floriculture. Founded in 1947, it has steadily built expertise and quality. In 2005 it expanded its production site and consolidated itself as an integrated industry. In 2010 it inaugurated a demonstration park, an open-air laboratory where partners and clients can test the company’s quality and know-how. Since 2022 it has focused on environmental and production sustainability, obtaining several certifications and investing in modern technologies to enhance both sustainability and production processes.
Another interesting company is Bengio High Safety Tech, founded more than 25 years ago by Stefano Begnozzi and his son Alessandro, a kart driver who suffered a chest injury during training due to inadequate protection. From then on, the company began designing and producing protective systems for karting, combining ergonomic design with very high safety standards. Today it has a new production headquarters where it invests in cutting-edge technologies to ensure impeccable quality and meet any requirement.
Looking to the future, Mantua’s businesses are now ready for the next step in their competitive development: the implementation of advanced services such as IoT, AI, cybersecurity and cloud, thanks to the creation of an innovative fibre-optic infrastructure of up to 10G with guaranteed transmission speeds, built by FibreConnect.
Ultra-broadband will support the development of new services and improve production processes, making these industrial areas even more competitive and attractive to national and international investors.
Another step forward for our country’s economy and artisanal excellence, towards an increasingly connected and international future.
Tags: Italy’s business landscape, Mantua