Mantua was about two hours from Bologna by train, and a small city with a dramatically different feel. Everything is much slower in Mantua. After a slow lunch we visited three churches: tiny San Lorenzo from the 11th century, a place Matilda of Canosa worshipped; Sant’ Andrea, the large basilica; and the cathedral. The city also has the famous Gonzaga ducal palace, a massive Renaissance fortress, and is home of Mantegna, the Renaissance painter. Another child of Mantua is the poet Virgil.
