Name: Palazzo Castiglioni
Address: Piazza Sordello, 12, Italy, Mantua, Italy, 46100
Telephone: +39 338 1824408
Price range: From $290

Hotel review

Hot tip: If you want a cool place to which to retreat from the city’s heat – or after exploring the palazzi and churches – try the gardens of the Piazza Lega Lombarda across the piazza Sordello from the hotel.

It would be hard to be more central in this renaissance city – in Mantua’s largest piazza, opposite the grand Palazzo Ducale, next to the Duomo and round the corner from the Basilica – than in this 14th century palazzo. Originally owned by the Bonacolsi family who ruled Mantua before the empire-building Gonzagas ousted them in the 14th century, it’s now owned by descendants of the Castiglioni family, who took ownership in the 16th century.

The palazzo looks the part with a huge and heavy arched doorway, cobbled entrance, inner courtyard around which spread the palazzo’s four floors, and built of rosy-coloured brick with an elaborate castellated parapet on the piazza-facing façade.

Its six guest rooms, on different floors and accessed from different parts of the courtyard, are either vast or massive. While each differs in shape and style, they share the same look of faded rugs on polished-wood or terracotta-tiled floors, open-raftered ceilings, a mix of antiques and contemporary furniture, huge sofas and armchairs, and either four-poster or canopied beds. Plaster walls are painted in rich colours while each room is scattered with books and interesting objets. The overall feel is of a faded but comfortable grandeur while bathrooms are generous with large walk-in showers.

Choose to look over the Piazza Sordello or the courtyard or, if you’ve a sense of adventure, opt for the Tower Suite – Torre – accessed by its own lift and with 360 degree views over the city. If you’ve a head for heights, there’s a startling roof terrace accessed by a magnificently slender spiral staircase.

There are no shared public rooms (each bedroom has plenty of sitting space) – not even a breakfast room. Instead, breakfast is taken in the next-door Caffè Sordello in the piazza. It’s a modest, typically Italian, affair of coffee (or tea), juice and croissant. But it is in the heart of a wonderful renaissance piazza.

Recommended for

City Style
- Stay in a 14th century palace facing the Ducal Palace steps from Piazza Sordello with luxury suites and cafe breakfast next door
Other Activities
- Take a boat trip through the surrounding lakes and nature reserve, notable for their summer lotus blooms
Sights nearby
- Step into the Ducal Palace nearby and wander frescoed halls filled with art and history
No restaurant
- Breakfast is served at the cafe next door and there are plenty of restaurants nearby
Great walks
- Stroll Piazza delle Erbe for aperitivo, market stalls and relaxed cafe vibes
Designer Shopping
- Discover Vias Roma and Corso Uberto 1 for high-end designer clothing
Cycling
- Cycle the riverside paths along Mantua's lakes and canals
Pet friendly
- Four legged friends are welcome, charges may apply
Rooms with balcony/terrace
- Some rooms have a private balcony with great views
Roof terrace
Outstanding location
Sit-out Terrace
Full of character
Good wine list
Traditional
Lakeside
Boutique
Historic
Child friendly
Disabled access
Family Suites
Charming
Luxury
Four poster beds
Downtown
Air conditioning

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