The Ducal Palace and Palazzo Te are the two main attractions of a cultural itinerary in town, identified by the image of the salamander. Leaving the castle, Castello di San Giorgio, one enters Piazza Sordello, which is, together with its surroundings, the original centre of the town. The square is dominated by the vast porticoed "façade" of the Ducal Palace (which comprises Palazzo del Capitano and the Magna Domus), the Cathedral and, on the right, the Bishop’s Palace, the Uberti Palace and the Castiglioni Palace.

Going under the archway, Voltone di San Pietro, walking along the Renaissance porticos in Piazza Broletto one can see the Palazzo del Podestà. Through the Sottoportico dei Lattonai, one enters Piazza Erbe where the other side of the palace can be seen; the square, the liveliest in the historic centre, is dominated by the Palazzo della Ragione, with its adjoining Clock Tower and by the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, while in the nearby Piazza Mantegna, the imposing façade of the Basilica di Sant'Andrea dominates the scene.
Walking towards the second attraction of this itinerary, Mantegna's House, the Tempio and Palazzo di San Sebastiano can be seen before reaching Palazzo Te, the masterpiece of Giulio Romano.