Bridge of St George

Beautiful bridge that leads to the center of the city of Mantua, very suggestive and flanked by a cycle path that connects the parking area of ​​the canoe camp with the city. The view of the city and the castle of San Giorgio in the evening is very impressive!

Masonry bridge 800 meters long that leads to Mantua and crosses the Middle Lake and the Lower Lake (formed by the extension of the Mincio). Traveling by car you can enjoy a postcard panoramic view with the Castle of San Giorgio in front of you, an exciting and evocative spectacle impossible to describe in words. Initially it was built in wood, between 1198 and 1199, as part of the hydraulic intervention carried out by the engineer Alberto Pitentino who transformed the swampy environment surrounding the city of Mantua into a complex of lake basins, the so-called lakes of Mantua. having the function of protection from floods and enemy armies. It was Ludovico Gonzaga who then built the San Giorgio bridge in masonry, dividing in two, Lago di Mezzo and Lago Inferiore precisely, the stretch of water formed downstream of Lake Superiore by the dam-bridge of the Mills. The bridge was part of a defensive military system that included the fortified village of San Giorgio, located on the other side of the Gonzaga court. Experience to do!

The San Giorgio bridge was built in wood (1198 - 1199) as part of the hydraulic intervention carried out by the engineer Alberto Pitentino who transformed the swampy environment surrounding the city of Mantua into a complex of lake basins, the so-called lakes of Mantua , having the function of protection from floods and from enemy armies. It was Ludovico Gonzaga at the end of the 14th century who built the San Giorgio bridge in masonry, dividing in two, Lago di Mezzo and Lago Inferiore, the stretch of water formed downstream of Lake Superiore by the dam-bridge of the Mills. The bridge was part of a defensive military system that included the fortified village of San Giorgio, located on the other side of the Gonzaga court. The bridge of San Giorgio was subsequently covered as evidenced by a plaque dated 1417 preserved in the museum of Palazzo Ducale in Mantua. The most authoritative and imperishable documentation of the bridge, dating back to 1460 - 1461, can be seen in the background of the Death of the Virgin by Andrea Mantegna, a painting now exhibited in Madrid at the Prado museum. The roof will be demolished on 25 September 1634 following damage suffered in 1630 during the siege of the Landsknechts. Another siege will have the bridge and the village of San Giorgio as its epicenter: the battle of San Giorgio on 15 September 1796 which opposed the besieging Napoleonic army and the Austrian troops. It was during the six-month siege that the French almost completely demolished the village of San Giorgio. The only building to have survived and still intact is the "fortress of Sparafucile", so called by one of the protagonists of Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi. In 1922 the arches of the bridge were buried and the drawbridge that allowed the passage of boats between the lakes of Mezzo and Inferiore was demolished and replaced by the current construction.

From the bridge you have a truly breathtaking view of the city. I recommend going there in the evening to see the Doge's palace illuminated. Of course it is a bit busy with cars but there is a pedestrian / cycle path that guarantees safety and tranquility.

Certainly the best view of Mantua. Some photos taken with my mobile have been edited after taking them but the panorama is what you see. There may be times when there is not even traffic and the view and even more to capture. I recommend everyone to pass by these bridges so that they can see the city from a different perspective. ??️??️