mantuas

Mantuas is a term that does not have a single, widely accepted meaning in modern English. In some historical contexts it is read as the plural of mantua, a term for a women's garment worn in Europe in the 16th to 18th centuries. In other usages, it appears as an anglicized plural intended to denote things associated with Mantua, the Italian city, though this usage is uncommon and not standardized.

Mantua (Mantova in Italian) is a city in Lombardy, northern Italy, located on the Mincio river near the Po. It was a major cultural and political center under the ruling Gonzaga family from the 14th to the 17th century. The city is known for its architectural ensembles such as the Ducal Palace (Palazzo Ducale) and the Teatro Bibiena, and for its surrounding countryside, including the Sabbioneta-Mantua fortification complex, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 (together with Sabbioneta). Mantua played a key role in the development of Renaissance music and visual arts, hosting composers like Monteverdi and significant painters in the early modern period.

Because Mantuas is not the standard English demonym for residents of Mantua, the more common forms Mantuan or Mantovans are preferred when referring to the people of Mantua. The term Mantuas may appear in older texts or as a surname, but it is not widely used in contemporary reference works.