Nastilicious: Mantova

Mantova is a city in Lombardia, three hours by bus from Duino. We went this morning, leaving from Piazza at 6.45. Arriving at 10am, we first headed to the main Piazza delle Erbe, the Piazza was really big, It is surrounded by the Palazzo Ducale, a white church (that I have no idea what's called), some old buildings and cafes.

Then we headed to Chiesa di Sant'Andrea, it is a really sophisticated church that has a Dome. Believed that the blood from the Christ crucifixion buried on the ground and ritually each Good Friday it always comes up to the surface. The church is grand, the painting are so impressive, Henry Thomas said "It's an intensive labour-skill". Those great paintings were drawn by hands, covering all the walls and ceilings of the church. Great God!

After being there for about 45 minutes, we visited the Palazzo Ducale. It is a place where the Gonzaga family used to live. It has 500 rooms, could contain forty-five hundred people. I asked Henry he said it was a 200 years reconstrcution since the 12AD. Somehow, the Palazzo has been a bit transformed modern, and was by chance there was a contemporary arts showcase, so the urban and classical atmosphere were blended.

There was a room that has painting of the Gonzaga's horses on the wall. Gonzaga horses were famous! The pictures don't show complete parts of their body, because it was covered by curtain, everything was so flirtatious, sexy. There is also a room whose ceiling has a picture of the Gonzaga family having a direct communication to God. Very impressive! Henry said the Palazzo is the Mantova's Colosseum. For sure all the paintings are the most expensive possession in the world. Oh, I (the daughter), Roberto (the father) and Jeanne-Marie (the wife) pretended that we were one of the Gonzagas, walking down the stairs graciously, waving our hands elegantly. I mean, the Gonzaga used to step onto those floors.

Palazzo Te is a Frederico II gateway from his horrible life in Palazzo Ducale, and it was also a place where he tried to runaway with a girl Isabele Bosso (a beauty symbol that time). That girl apparently had the same name with his mother's Isabelle Deste, and therefore there was this mother-son conflict about future wife. Isabelle Deste was one of the most inteligent woman on her period.

Inside it was just so beautiful. There was a room that has a complete story of Venus and her love story. Nudity was all around, but Henry really explained it in a very instinctive, desirable and rational way of thinking - we really understood the meaning of everything.

Then we had a free time, I and Djana, my friend from Bosnia went out for pizzas and sat around Piazza Le Donne. Afterward, we headed to Palazzo Te. It was huge, it has this beautiful garden. That day there was a Lunar Park taken place on the east part of the castle, there was also a little football stadium. I went take a look, it was a blast, the Lunar Park I mean.

Mantova was beautiful. The more beautiful part is actually having Henry Thomas to elaborate every single details of it. I am going to miss it a lot next year!