River villages in the Mantua area

Villages, riverside landscapes, and routes between the Mincio and Po rivers, to be explored on foot, by bike and by water.

In the Mantua area, there are some villages with a special connection with the rivers. Along the banks of the Mincio and Po rivers, over time, small towns have established trade links and preserved fortifications, shrines and ancient trades linked to water.

Today, they retain their ancient beauty and can be reached by motorboat, explored via the cycle and footpaths that connect them, or visited on foot amongst the reed beds and floodplains, stopping along the way to discover the flavours of the Mantua plain.

These riverside villages share the same waterside landscape, which nevertheless reveals different nuances linked to the rich historical heritage of each one.

Rivalta sul Mincio — Further downstream, near the bend in the river, lie two gems of the Mantua area: Corte Mincio and the old Borgo dei Pescatori (Fishing Village). These are two places that have shaped the history of Rivalta; they are situated in an area of great scenic and natural beauty and have therefore been protected since 1984 with the establishment of the Mincio Regional Park. These places bear witness to the traditional crafts, culinary traditions, and the ups and downs of daily life in a community of simple, genuine people, as depicted in the permanent, open-air photographic exhibition of the “Museo Diffuso” outdoor museum.

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Grazie di Curtatone — In 1037, on a small promontory rising from a tangle of marshes, waterways, and reeds near Mantua, there stands a shrine or oratory where farmers and boatmen venerate the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary with the Child in her lap. Thus was born the village of Grazie (MN), whose historic center is the sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Grazie, built in an elegant Lombard Gothic style, begun in 1399 and consecrated in 1406. It stands on a hill overlooking the reeds of the Mincio River, which flows behind it, with its façade facing the village.

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The noises of productive life are lost in the silence of the countryside in San Benedetto Po (MN), with the landscape dotted with oratories, abbeys, parish churches and agricultural courts, where the monks’ precious work is still visible. The history of the village merges with that of the Benedictine monastery of Polirone, founded in 1007 by the Da Canossa family: here is the tomb of Matilde di Canossa in an alabaster sarcophagus. The original name derives from the Po and Lirone rivers that once surrounded the place.

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Even in Roman times, its location was strategic: Hostilia was a port on the River Po, and it was from here that the Via Claudia Augusta began, the ancient road linking the Po Valley to the regions beyond the Alps. You can still sense its history as you stroll through the town centre. Its medieval towers are a reminder of the ancient fortified system, whilst the Archaeological Museum houses artefacts testifying to a region that has been inhabited since ancient times. The towers are joined by Art Nouveau palazzos and buildings, as well as a more recent history linked to Arnoldo Mondadori, who set up the first printing works of what was to become his publishing house, right here in Ostiglia.

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The fortification, dating from 1216, was used to defend against military attacks from Ferrara, Modena and Reggio. Over the centuries, the strategic location chosen for its construction would continue to make Borgoforte an important point for controlling and crossing the River Po.Water remains a central feature to this day. Borgoforte lies close to the riverbank and still has a river landing stage beneath its distinctive iron railway bridge, while the riverbanks and floodplains offer views across the landscape of the Lower Mantua region.

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