Today I’m in Mantua, the capital of culture in 2016. A little city in the heart of the Po Valley and the Parco del Mincio, rich in Renaissance treasures that remind us of the distant Gonzaga time. Ancient palaces, churches, theatres and squares, but also the three artificial lakes that surround the city making it almost a little peninsula and the spectacular entrance from the Bridge of San Giorgio: all historic and picturesque corners that have made Mantua earn and deserve a place among the UNESCO heritage sites.
In this context, every year since 1997 fans of books, cinema, music and theater meet on the occasion of a great festival dedicated to literature and culture: Festivaletteratura, a festival that this year will take place from 5 to 9 September with events, shows, conventions and meetings with authors from all over the world in the most important places of the city, such as Piazza Sordello, Mantegna’s house, Piazza Virgiliana or the great Palazzo Te.
This twenty-second edition of this renowned festival begins on Wednesday, September the 5th at 11:30 am with an inaugural aperitif, free to all, in the central Piazza Sordello and it will go on for four days entertaining participants of all ages until the evening of Sunday, September the 9th.
This year the festival offers a rich program with topics of current interest such as immigration, conflicts and the role of women in society, but also moments of leisure to better enjoy what the city of Mantua has to offer: games and workshops suitable for children at the Mantegna’s house; the new book exchange project; the literary coffee break in the lovely historic bar of the city centre, an opportunity to have a good coffee while listening to poetry.
But Festivaletteratura doesn’t just mean books and culture, Festivaletteratura is a beautiful pretext to rediscover Mantua! In the evening, after the stands have been closed, the streets and squares are filled with visitors, young volunteers and artists. There are those who play on the street, who sing and who simply sit for an aperitif or dinner in one of the small but characteristic pubs and restaurants of the city.
For the complete program, visit the event’s official site
Concerts begin in the fabulous Bibiena Theatre, a Baroque art jewel, art films are screened in the central cinema while the lakefront turns into the favourite place for those who want to go for a walk and relax.
Well, what better time to visit Mantua?
Official website: http://www.festivaletteratura.it/it
Programme and map 2017: http://www.festivaletteratura.it/it/2017/download
Copyright foto: www.italia.it; www.festivaletteratura.it; www.gazzettadimantova.geolocal.it
Article by: M. Longhi
