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Mantua B&B accommodation, Italy

country:Italy
location:Mantua
price:From €70 per couple per night on B&B basis
 
description
The house rise in the 1600s as a property of the Benedictine Abbey at Polirone to administer an estate of 300 rods. At the end of the 1700s it was registered in the Teresian cadastre as “House and Court for Holiday use” within a vast holding that supplied wine and grain to the monastery. After the ecclesiastical ownings had been confiscated in the Napoleonic period, the property became private and new buildings were added for growing necessities. The main part was rebuilt at the beginning of the 1900s and today it contains the B&B farm holidays.

The rooms, spacious and furnished in the traditional style, contain private bathrooms and private heating. We serve continental breakfast with home-made cake and jam. On request - biological, dietary and gluten-free foods can be prepared.
special things to do and see here
The B&B is situated in an evocative area, set in the green of the countryside and surrounded by 30 hectares of farming land. You can use your stay to live in direct contact with nature, going for walks on the banks, bicycle-tours discovering churches from Roman period in the area or just reading a book sitting on the grass. You can also observe the starry nights – this experience can be completed with a visit to the nearby astronomy observatory.

Five Kms away at Polirone there is the Benedictine Abbey. An important medieval and Renaissance monastic complex with artworks and masterpieces by Correggio and Giulio Romano which is supplemented by a museum on farm-life. Many churches in lower – Mantua date back to the early middle ages and are linked to the name of “Matilde of Canossa”. A special itinerary allows you to visit it all in a day.

The Gonzagan capital houses buildings, museums and permanent exhibitions. A day allows you to appreciate art treasures like Mantegna's “Camera degli Sposi”, the ducal Place and the Te Palace. A few kilometres away from the city centre there is the Renaissance sanctuary of the “Grazie” set near a lake, and the summer residence and park at Bosco Fontana. Sabbioneta is an ideal city built by the Gonzagas. Today it is still surrounded by city walls enclosing churches and buildings.

The Po is travelled by a fleet of cruise-boats which reach Mantua, Ferrara and Venice in a day, whilst on the lake of Mantua , literary evenings are held on board of cruise boats navigating the area. These excursions can be booked from our B&B. This accommodation can be the starting point for one day excursions to the main artistic cities of the nearby. Verona and the near Garda Lake, Cremona, Parma, Modena, Ferrara, Bologna, Padova.

Cycling: We are on the cross of Eurovelo from Brenner-Verona to Florence-Rome and Turin-Venice bording Po river. Free bikes for the guests.
rooms, food and facilities
The double rooms, spacious and furnished in the traditional style, contain private bathrooms and private heating. Available also suites for family (4 or 5 places). The room is supplied with boiler for tea and caffé.
how to find us
At Mantova or the exit of Mantova Sud on the Autobrennero Motorway A22, go towards Modena or San Benedetto Po. Once you have reached San Benedetto, continue on the main ring-road. Two hundred metres after the traffic lights turn left (our sign-post) and continue for San Siro (4 Km) where you will find our signs.

At the exit of Pegognaga on the Autobrennero Motorway A22 (coming from Bologna, Florence, etc) follow indications for San Benedetto Po. Once you are on the main provincial road, continue to a T intersection with the “Romana” main road. Turn left and at the next T intersection turn left again. Here, a little while before the town of San Benedetto, you will find our indication directing towards San Siro.
how this holiday makes a difference
The house is building at first decade of 1900 with high respect of environment. Brick is made with clay mine from the river near the edifice. No cement is used, only wood and natural bricks. We restored in year 2000 with respect, using only natural materials. Near the house is astronomic observatory. We not install external lights for avoid light pollution. So we can observe rare and spectacular sky in the night. We recycle waste with different containers and save energy with condensation boiler, special glass windows and electronic settlement temperature.

We use energy efficient lights bulbs for all lights (ca 50), a sunlight control for turn off external light and an automatic movement control for turn off internal light of the common part of edifice. We collect rain water in one butt for use in the garden. The rooms of the guests have half flush toilets and reduction gear of flow on the sink.

For our activity we use eco-cleaning product, eco washing up liquid and eco washing powder for laundry from Coop production. We cultivate our garden without use of pesticide and fertilisers. We use only mature manure (from cow) and organic compost, In the court, we have an ancient building with nest of wild nocturne bird (barn owl and owl). We have a 200 meters long ditch when encourage wild flowers and insects.

We recycle all our waste (paper, glass, wood, plastic) and the ones of guests. We encourage to separate with little drums at external place. We deliver that is collected at waste centre of San Benedetto Po municipality. We support this project of wildlife conservation: Parco Naturale delle Golene del Secchia and give information to our guests about wildlife of the river (700 meters far from the B&B). We use only local products specially butter and milk from neighbour producer of Parmesan cheese and fruits from our organic plantation.

We encourage our guests to visit local attractions like San Benedetto Po’s abbey and ancient town centre. To all our guests, we suggest to eat in local restaurant (we have many agreements) and buy at local producers through depliant and direct explanations. We give to our guests information and addresses for organic products to buy. Regarding public transport, we are deep in the country, 4 km far from town centre. Our guest must come only by car, bike or walk. We offer bikes free for go to the centre or restaurant.

We employ 1 local staff from San Benedetto Po. All the products we offer to our guests is buy from local producers. Cheese and butter from Natura Agricola (5 km), bread and cakes from Forno Morandi (1 km), fruits from our plantation, jams is home made. We restored and keep buildings only with aid from local workers and little company (1-5 km far from the B&B) we use always the same people. (painter Luigi Bina, Portiolo 5 km, electrician Franco Trombini, San Benedetto Po, 4 km, mason Impresa edile Grossi, San Benedetto Po 4 km.)

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