Bosco Fontana Nature Reserve

Bosco Fontana Nature Reserve is a state protected area in the Province of Mantua containing marshy woodland near the Mincio River. The forest grows with mixed trees including turkey oaks, pedunculate oaks, hornbeams, limes, poplars, elms, and alders across its expanse.

The Gonzaga family acquired this woodland between the 12th and 13th centuries and used it as a private hunting reserve. The area received protected status as a nature reserve in 1972.

The hunting lodge at the center displays the architectural style of 16th-century Italian nobility with its three tall arches and four decorative turrets. Visitors can observe how this structure reflects the tastes and status of the Gonzaga family who once ruled this land.

You can explore the reserve through multiple straight paths that run through the forest in geometric patterns connecting different sections. The best time to visit is during warmer months when the paths remain dry and accessible throughout your walk.

The reserve protects one of the last remaining examples of the original Po Valley landscape before intensive agriculture transformed the region. Natural springs located near the hunting lodge contribute to this area's distinctive water systems.