Tasting Tour: What to Eat and See in Mantova in One Day
- Made al Dente
- Jul 9
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 12
Mist, Gold, and a Crumb of Sweetness
Mantova wakes slowly, as if it knows the riches it holds and feels no need to rush. In the early hours, a soft mist hangs over the three lakes that cradle the city, casting Piazza Sordello in a gauzy shimmer. The bricks of the Gonzaga palaces glow faintly pink, and the scent of
rising dough and powdered sugar spills from the door of La Tur dal Sücar, whose pasticceria cases gleam like treasure chests.
This is a city made for wandering — compact but opulent, suspended between the echoes of the Renaissance and the quiet churn of daily life. You walk through frescoed halls and cobbled alleys, past whispering piazzas and bent cyclists with bread tucked under one arm. And always, always, you are never far from something to taste.
Mantova is not showy. But it is layered, like a well-folded sfogliatina. Spend a day here — from first espresso to final sip of grappa — and you’ll begin to understand its rhythms, where sweetness is often shadowed by a hint of mustard heat, and the humble coexists with the majestic.
What to eat in Mantova: Courtly Roots, Earthy Pleasures
Mantova’s food culture is shaped by both nobility and necessity — a marriage of Renaissance grandeur and peasant ingenuity. Under the Gonzaga dynasty, the city became a cultural and
gastronomic capital: artists, poets, and chefs filled the palaces, while recipes traveled from court to countryside and back again.
The result is a cuisine both refined and grounded. Take the iconic tortelli di zucca: parcels of sweet pumpkin purée, amaretti, and mostarda, served with browned butter and sage. It's a dish of contradictions — sweet, savory, spicy — echoing the balance Mantovans seem to cherish.
Fresh egg pastas, fish from the lakes (like pike in salsa verde), aged Grana Padano, and rustic risottos like risotto alla pilota (made with salamella sausage and named for the rice-husking workers, or "piloti") are all regional pillars. So is pork in its many forms — from cotechino to the delicate folds of culatello — and the essential bite of mostarda mantovana, a sticky preserve of candied fruit and mustard essence.
This is also a city of bread. Pane mantovano, with its signature “knot,” is best fresh from a forno like Scaravelli, torn still warm and dragged through golden olive oil or wrapped around a sliver of prosciutto.
To eat in Mantova is to time-travel with your senses. And with that: let’s walk.
A Walking Tour for the Senses: From Dolce Dawn to Lambrusco Dusk
Morning: A Sweet Start and the Soul of the City
Begin at Pasticceria La Tur dal Sücar, tucked just steps from the historic center. The name itself is Mantuan dialect for “tower of sugar,” and the window displays live up to it:
sbrisolona dusted in snow, golden torta delle rose, and delicate tartellette di mostarda. Take a seat or stand at the bar, as locals do, and order a short, potent espresso with a slice of their namesake cake — a pillowy spiral scented with butter and citrus.
From here, stroll toward Piazza delle Erbe, the city’s lively heart, where time collapses gently into history. Gaze up at the Torre dell’Orologio, its 15th-century astrological clock still ticking with quiet pride. Slip inside the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, the oldest church in Mantova, round and intimate, like stepping into a secret.
Across the piazza, the scent of baking bread lures you to Forneria Scaravelli, a local institution where generations have shaped loaves by hand. Pick up a few schiacciatine — thin, crackly crackers kissed with olive oil — or a warm pane mantovano, its distinctive twist marking it as truly local. These will come in handy later for a park bench snack or with salumi.
Late Morning: Renaissance Majesty and Mostarda Heat
Now make your way to Palazzo Ducale, a sprawling palace complex with grand corridors, hanging gardens, and the hauntingly beautiful Camera degli Sposi, painted by Mantegna. Walk slowly — this place demands it — and notice how every detail feels made to delight.
Exiting into the daylight, take a short stroll to Il Salumaio, a shop that’s part butcher, part altar to pork. Here, the counters gleam with coppa, culatello, cotechino, and aged wedges of Grana Padano. Ask to try a slice of salame mantovano and a spoon of mostarda — sweet,
fiery, and unlike anything else. The staff may offer you a sip of red to go with it. Say yes.
If you're tempted, gather a few items for a picnic by the lake, or press on toward lunch.
Midday: Pranzo, the Mantuan Way
For lunch, settle into Trattoria Due Cavallini, where rustic charm meets serious tradition. Order the tortelli di zucca, filled with roasted pumpkin, crushed amaretti, and mostarda — a dish that reads like a poem of Mantova’s past. Follow with risotto alla pilota, rich with crumbly salamella sausage, paired with a glass of chilled Lambrusco Mantovano that fizzes gently against the heat of midday.
The trattoria's walls are lined with yellowed photographs, and the air smells of butter and time. Take your time, too.
Afternoon: Dolce, Detours, and Palazzo Te
After lunch, wander slowly toward Gelateria Loggetta near Piazza Canossa. Their seasonal flavors are worth the detour — try the zucca e amaretto or stracciatella all’aceto balsamico. Then follow the tree-lined path along Lungolago dei Gonzaga, with the lake shimmering beside you.
Your next stop is Palazzo Te, a bit removed but utterly transportive. Built as a pleasure palace by Federico II Gonzaga, it’s a marvel of playful illusion — look for the hall where giants tumble from the ceiling in crumbling frescoes. It’s a perfect digestivo for the eyes.
Evening: Golden Hour and the Clink of Glasses
As evening gathers, return to the center and claim a table at Caffè Caravatti, where aperitivo was practically born. Sip a house amaro or a crisp spritz as Piazza Sordello warms under the setting sun. The chatter of locals, the golden light on the palace stones — it all feels suspended.
Dinner awaits at Osteria dell’Oca, a warm, welcoming space with just the right buzz. Try stracotto d’asino (donkey stew, if you're adventurous), luccio in salsa with polenta, or a delicate bigoli con le sardelle. Let your appetite guide you — and don’t skip the house dessert.
Round out your evening with a small glass of grappa, preferably aged, and a quiet walk along the edge of Lago Inferiore, where the city lights flicker in the water.
Tour Recap
Morning
Pasticceria La Tur dal Sücar📍 Via Domenico Fernelli, 89, 46100 Mantova MN🍰 Classic pasticceria for torta delle rose, sbrisolona, and espresso.🕗 8:30 AM
Piazza delle Erbe📍 Piazza delle Erbe, 46100 Mantova MN🏛️ Heart of the city, surrounded by medieval and Renaissance architecture.
Rotonda di San Lorenzo📍 Piazza delle Erbe, 46100 Mantova MN⛪ Oldest church in Mantova, Romanesque and atmospheric.
Forneria Scaravelli📍 Via Giovanni Arrivabene, 1, 46100 Mantova MN🥖 Historic bakery for schiacciatine and pane mantovano.🕗 ~10:00 AM
Late Morning
Palazzo Ducale di Mantova📍 Piazza Sordello, 40, 46100 Mantova MN🎨 Grand palace complex with Mantegna’s frescoes and courtyards.🕗 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Il Salumaio📍 Via Orefici, 11, 46100 Mantova MN🍖 Gourmet shop for salumi, Grana Padano, and mostarda tastings.🕗 12:15 PM
Midday
Trattoria Due Cavallini📍 Vicolo Cervetta, 2, 46100 Mantova MN🍝 Traditional trattoria for tortelli di zucca and risotto alla pilota.🕗 1:00 PM
Afternoon
Gelateria Loggetta📍 Piazza Canossa, 46100 Mantova MN🍦 Seasonal flavors like zucca e amaretto in a quiet square.🕗 2:30 PM
Palazzo Te📍 Viale Te, 13, 46100 Mantova MN🏛️ Mannerist masterpiece with frescoed halls and illusionist art.🕗 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Evening
Caffè Caravatti📍 Piazza Sordello, 7, 46100 Mantova MN🍹 Aperitivo birthplace with historic ambiance.🕗 6:00 PM
Osteria dell’Oca📍 Via Trieste, 6, 46100 Mantova MN🍷 Cozy osteria for lake fish, donkey stew, and traditional mains.🕗 7:30 PM
Lungolago dei Gonzaga / Lago Inferiore (Evening Walk)📍 Via Legnago, 46100 Mantova MN🌅 Scenic walk along the lake to close the day.
