Mantova is a provincial capital of Lombardy and a city that is situated at 19 metres above sea level on the very fertile plain located north of the Po, on the right bank of the river Mincio that extends to form three lakes: Superiore, Mezzo and Inferiore. Historically it was an Etruscan settlement. Long afterwards, it reached its peak in the 17th century when it became a very important artistic and cultural centre.