Mantua is a tiny medieval city that punches way above its weight in history, architectural splendor, and delicious cuisine. Considered one of the main artistic and cultural hubs in Northern Italy, its centro storico, or historical city center, and nearby Sabbioneta form a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mantua owes a lot of its prestige to the wealthy and powerful Gonzaga family (yes, the American university is named after one of them), who ruled the city for nearly four centuries. Through their patronage, some of the best artists, musicians, and writers of their day came to the city, but regardless of who was paying the bills, Mantua has long seemed to have something in the water that inspired artists and musicians.