After crossing the Argine Maestro, you rejoin a section of the Ciclovia Sole cycle path and continue on your way to the Forte di Pietole, an imposing Napoleonic bastion surrounded by greenery, now home to the Parco Museo Virgilio. The fortress stands on the site where, according to tradition, the Latin poet was born: here, Virgil’s words still seem to echo among the paths and trees.
Not far away, the archaeological site of Forcello tells the story of another era: the Etruscan period. Scale reconstructions and educational activities make it an ideal place to immerse yourself in the daily life of over two thousand years ago.
A little further on, the Travata waterworks and the Chiavica del Comando tell the epic story of the reclamation of the Po Valley and the engineering expertise of the 20th century. The river is regulated, accompanied and made navigable: here, water is mother, but also a force to be tamed.
The arrival in Governolo is one of the most evocative moments of the entire journey. The village stands where the Mincio flows into the Po and has always been a strategic location for hydraulic and military control. History echoes in the walls of the Matildic tower and in the memory of the battles of the Risorgimento, while the water marks the rhythm of the days. The Museo Diffuso del Fiume (River Museum) welcomes visitors with models, films and educational panels that recount centuries of coexistence with the river environment.

What to see along the way

• Mantova: Carolingian Garden of Gradaro A monastic garden that recreates the crops of Charlemagne’s time, including medicinal herbs, fruit trees and ancient vegetables.
• Mantova: Virgil’s Wood A historic and literary park, with plants mentioned in the works of Virgil, shady paths and a small maze.
• Mantova: Parcobaleno An environmental education and wildlife rescue centre with vegetable gardens, butterflies and workshops for children and adults.
• Mantova: Vallazza Reserve A wetland of Community importance, with panoramic towers and immersive trails.
• Borgo Virgiliano: Virgilio Museum Park in Pietole A Napoleonic fortress surrounded by greenery, dedicated to the poet Virgil and the history of Mantua’s defensive landscape.
• San Biagio: Etruscan archaeological site of Forcello Experimental reconstructions, workshops and excavations open to visitors to understand Etruscan life north of the Po.
• Bagnolo San Vito: Travata Water Pumping Station A masterpiece of industrial architecture in Art Nouveau and Neo-Renaissance style, with pumps, power stations and decorated rooms.
• Roncoferraro: Borgo di Governolo An ancient strategic centre divided in two by the Mincio river, with traces of Matilda of Turingia, the Risorgimento and hydraulic works.
• Roncoferraro: River Museum – Conca del Bertazzolo Part of the Ecomuseum of the Mantua landscape, it recounts the relationship between man and the river with a narrative and interactive approach.
• Roncoferraro: MUDRI – Diffused Museum of the Risorgimento Itinerary of the Municipality of Roncoferraro, Governolo “18 July 1848: battle at the foot of the Matildic Tower”.

Landscape and nature

The entire route winds through a unique hydraulic landscape, shaped by man but still rich in biodiversity. The ecological corridor of the Mincio River within its park of the same name provides a habitat for dozens of protected species, including herons, cormorants, marsh harriers and wild ducks.
In the wet meadows and reed beds, you can find marsh irises, sedges, gentians and rare orchids. The silence of the banks is broken only by the sudden flight of a kingfisher or the rustling of the grass as the wind blows.
Near the Vallazza, the waters open up into reflective mirrors populated by water lilies and water chestnuts, with white willows and alders framing the path. It is a walk that nourishes the senses: you can smell the grass, hear the gurgling of the river and see sunsets as wide and deep as inner horizons.

For those who walk

The fourth stage is a long breath among the waters. You walk immersed in an ancient geography, made up of rivers, parish churches, canals and towers. Here, every detail tells the story of the relationship between man and nature: from locks to ditches, from industrial buildings to protected reserves. It is a slow, meditative stage, where the landscape teaches balance and listening.
The journey does not end in Governolo: it continues eastwards, along the Po and beyond. But here, where the Mincio meets the great river, pilgrims find a moment to stop, observe and let themselves be enveloped by the beauty that surrounds them.

Alternative routes and variants

1. Vallazza nature trail
   From Bosco Virgiliano, follow the right bank of the Mincio, between the Fort, the Macchina Fissa and Chiavica Travata, until you reach Governolo.
2. Via Matildica del Volto Santo
   A path connected to the Via Carolingia, offering more extensive pilgrimage possibilities.