Mantua Travel Guides (Updated September 2026)

Palazzo Te has many rooms displaying an overwhelming amount of art. Tiziana guided me through the Palazzo pointing out not only the art but the key features and their significance expressed through the symbols and their political meaning within the art. This enabled me to understand and appreciate the context and significance of the art and how it reflects the time in which it was created. Her knowledge is extensive on Palazzo Te but also on the links between Palazzo Te and the Renaissance in Northern Italy at the time and thus provided a picture of the social and political environment in which the Gonzaga family lived and the creation of the Palazzo. Tiziana speaks good English, is a clear communicator and was generous with her time. I would recommend Tiziana for anyone wanting to have an enhanced appreciation of Palazzo Te.

My husband, Dan, and I had the pleasure of a private tour of Palazzo Ducale in Mantova with Tiziana Portioli, and it was one of the highlights of our visit.Tiziana was incredibly knowledgeable and thorough, sharing the fascinating history of the palace in a way that was both engaging and easy to understand. She brought the rooms, artwork, and historical figures to life with detailed explanations and interesting stories that gave us a much deeper appreciation for this remarkable place.Her English was excellent, and she was happy to answer all of our questions throughout the tour. The personal attention of a private tour, combined with her expertise and enthusiasm, made for an exceptional experience.If you are visiting Mantova and want to truly understand the history and significance of Palazzo Ducale, I highly recommend booking a tour with Tiziana. She made our visit unforgettable.

An excellent way to self-guide around a magnificent city!

Excellent guided tour with the opportunity to pause and listen again

Must-see traces the history of the reigning Gonzague family for 4 centuries. Huge area beyond Versailles requires several hours.

Beautiful city. The jewel in the crown is the Scientific Theatre of Bibiena, a true jewel of Mantua and the Teresiana Municipal Library. The old town is a real wedding favor.

50& More Arezzo visiting Mantua and Sabbioneta, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 October 2023. "At Gonzaga Court" Overwhelmed by so much beauty. Members were able to admire masterpieces in Sabbioneta such as: Gallery of the Ancients, Piazza Ducale, heart of Sabbioneta and The wooden theater, hidden pearl of the town, strongly desired by Vespasiano Gonzaga. In Mantua:, the visit continued to Palazzo Ducale, with the wonderful Camera degli Sposi and Palazzo Te, among the bizarre and unusual wonders made by the brilliant Giulio Romano. The group 50 & More did not miss the visit to the Basilica of Sant'Andrea , Piazza delle Erbe and the wonderful Scientific Theatre of Bibiena . Guided by the professionalism and expertise of Tiziana Portioli and Liliana De Cao , the 50 & More group from Arezzo completed the experience in the land of Gonzaga, tasting many of the most representative dishes of the local tradition.

Great guide perfect experience, I would absolutely recommend driving in Mantua with the freetour organization

Perfect english, deep knowledge and nice way to share informations from the guide Tiziana. Perfectly on time.

Very professional and prepared, she told the story of Mantua without being too long-winded. It was interesting to hear it.

We visited the ducal palace and Palazzo Te. We had a great time with Eleonora. It was a very prepared and very affable guide with little Emma

With the social cooperative of Barlassina today trip to Mantua. At 11am we boarded and went around the lakes and part of the Mincio. A delicious lunch on board and at our disembarkation at 15.30 we started our walking tour around the old town with a very good guide. It was a perfect day also thanks to the shy sun and is an experience that I recommend to everyone.

Manuela was just great, with deep expertise and enthusiasm for her beloved City and its history. Highly recommended.

We visited the Doge's Palace guided by the highly prepared Eleanor who in just over an hour provided us with the essential elements of 400 years in which the Gonzagas ruled Mantua stimulating our curiosity to deepen the history of this family and its eternal bond with Mantua and the Mantua. We highly recommend the guidemica Eleonora.

We were picked up at our hotel in Verona. Our route was to Valpolicella for wine tasting, a very good experience. The driver was very friendly and wanted to do everything for us. He changed the plan with our consent and took us to two villages on Lake Garda, Sirmione and Salo. Great experience and thank you very much for the warm welcome and driving.

Everything went very smooth. Our driver was early to our pick up point and we did not have to wait once as our driver was always ready for us once our tours of small towns around Garda was completed. Would highly recommend.