Montova, Italy
We left about 9 am for a 39 km loop around the Mantova district. First stop was a small town Grazie which is home to a beautiful church with many superb carvings inside. No pictures allowed but there were some graphic sculptures of the fate of sinners.
We then cycled through more farming country before stopping at Rivalta. We visited the small museum of the Mincio River that ran past the town. After a nasty gravel section to avoid travelling on busy roads, we stopped for lunch beside one of the 3 lakes that surround Mantova.
Another beautiful, sunny day. After a shower back on the boat we headed into town for a guided tour of the town centre. We saw the Palazza Ducale which was home to the Gonzaga family for 400 years until the early 18th century. They supported the arts and the palace has many fine frescos which we unfortunately could not see.
We then visited the 2 enormous cathedrals and a small circular church.
