Mantua has traded its Renaissance crown for a greener one. The Lombard city, famed for Mantegna frescoes and Alberti palaces, now ranks as Italy’s most environmentally sustainable urban center.
Legambiente’s latest Ecosistema Urbano report placed Mantua first among more than 100 Italian cities evaluated. Its score of 81.29 out of 100 made it the only municipality to crack the 80-point threshold. Trento followed at 76.53, with Bolzano close behind at 75.47.
The result hardly surprises those who track environmental performance. Mantua, a city of roughly 50,000 positioned between Milan and Venice, has lingered near the top for years, finishing second in 2024 and 2023, and seventh the year prior.
What makes the ranking peculiar, however, is geography. Four of Italy’s top eight greenest cities sit in the Po Valley, a region notorious for some of Europe’s worst air pollution. Cremona landed fourth, Reggio Emilia fifth, and Parma seventh.
Barbara Megreceiveto, president of Legambiente Lombardia, attributes this to balance. Extraordinary showings in certain categories offset the valley’s persistent air-quality failures.
The index weighs 20 indicators across six areas. Mobility carries the most weight at 21%, followed by air quality at 19%, then waste, water, and urban environment at 18% each. Energy accounts for the remaining 6%.
Mantua’s numbers stand out. Its limited-traffic zone spans 1,696 square meters per 100 inhabitants, second only to Rimini. Recycling covers more than 83% of collected waste. The city boasts over 33 meters of cycle lanes per 100 residents, compared with Milan’s 16. Public rooftops host photovoltaic systems generating 19.9 kilowatts per 1,000 homes. And trees number 93 for every 100 residents.
Air pollution remains the weak point. PM10 concentrations reach 27 micrograms per cubic meter, barely below Milan’s 28. Megreceiveto acknowledges that individual cities can only do so much against industrial and agricultural emissions blanketing the valley.
Still, progress has arrived. Days exceeding ozone limits dropped from 39 to 25 year over year.
Mantua’s transformation traces back decades. A petrochemical plant operated there from 1957 to 1989, contaminating the city’s three lakes with heavy metals. Remediation continues today. As a result, the art city that briefly became a chemical hub has reclaimed its environmental footing.
