9 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Mantua - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Mantua

Lovers of Valdaro

A young Italian couple has been locked in an embrace for over 6,000 years.

Sala dei Giganti (Chamber of the Giants)

A room filled with frescos that make it seem like the walls are crumbling down while giants die in despair.

Basilica di Sant'Andrea

It took more than 300 years to build this church, which is home to two sacred vessels believed to hold the blood of Christ.

Rotonda di San Lorenzo

The oldest church in Mantua was buried for centuries under the facades of other structures.

Villa La Favorita

The remains of the last Gonzaga villa, a luxurious palace built in spite of an economic crisis.

Isola dei Fiori di Loto (Lotus Island)

In Lago Superiore, the largest expanse of lotus flowers outside of Asia are not hard to find.

Sant'Andrea's Hare

A hidden bas-relief of a hare on a church main portal that brings good luck to the ones who find it.

Torre della Gabbia (Tower Cage)

A medieval tower with a suspended iron cage used as an open-air jail for criminals who were exposed as a warning.

See All 9 Things to Do in Mantua See All 9 Places

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Rome Behind Locked Doors: Music, Magic, and Secret Crypts

Join us as we go beneath Rome’s streets and behind its locked doors to explore hidden and overlooked places, witnessing a capital city that most tourists rarely experience—strange, magical, and filled with intrigue.

Community Forums / Southern Europe / Italy

Top Discussions in the Italy Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Where is your favorite place to eat and see something unusual in Rome?	1 July 23, 2019	1632	July 23, 2019
Uffizi Gallery Trip	3 July 30, 2019	1023	July 30, 2019
Stumbling Stones of Rome	3 July 24, 2019	1530	July 24, 2019
Drive Through Lazio Countryside	7 May 1, 2020	850	May 1, 2020
Montebore	3 December 3, 2019	1405	December 3, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Explore Mantua, Italy

Launch Map

Mantua Leaderboard

Places Added

Join the Ranks!

Add an unusual place to Mantua.

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Mantua Activity

Nickpellizzon wants to go to Sala dei Giganti (Chamber of the Giants)

Nickpellizzon wants to go to Palazzo Aldegatti's Cat

Nickpellizzon wants to go to Rotonda di San Lorenzo

Nickpellizzon wants to go to Mantua Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Pietro)

Nickpellizzon wants to go to Isola dei Fiori di Loto (Lotus Island)