City in Italy, Europe
Verona Italy Photo © Garen M.
verona – Verona. Photo by Giuseppe Moscato Verona is a vibrant trading center, and is the second biggest city in Veneto region (after Venice) and one of the most prosperous city in Northern Italy. Its ancient center boasts of many magnificent Roman ruins, second only to those of Rome itself and fine palazzi built of rosso di Verona, the local pink-tinged limestone, by the city’s medieval rulers. Verona has two main focal points: the massive 1st-century AD Arena, which is still the setting for major events, and Piazza Erbe with its colorful market. One of the main attractions, however, is the Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore , which boasts of unusual, medieval, bronze door panels: they are carved with extraordinary scenes, some biblical, others on the life of San Zeno.
Verona’s Rulers
In 1263, the Scaligeri began their 124-year rule of Verona. They used ruthless tactics in their rise to power but once established, the Scaligeri family brought peace to a city racked by civil strife and interfamily rivalry. They proved to be relatively cultured rulers — the poet, Dante, was welcomed to their court in 1301, and dedicated the final part of his epic Divine Comedy to the ruling Cangrande I. Today, their legacy remains in their ornate tombs and in Castelvecchio. In 1387, Verona fell to the Visconti of Milan and succession of outsiders – Venice, France, Austria – who then ruled the city until the Veneto was united with Italy in 1866.
What to See
Castelvecchio
The impressive castle, built by Cangrande II between 1355 and 1375, houses one of the finest art galleries in the Veneto outside Venice. It is arranged to give striking views of the castle as well as the exhibits within. The first section contains a wealth of late Roman and early Christian material which includes silver plates, 5th-century brooches, glass painted with a portrait of Christ the Shepherd in gold, and the carved marble sarcophagus of Saint Sergius and Bacchus (1179).
The section on medieval and early Renaissance art vividly demonstrates the influence of northern art on local painters: the emphasis is on brutal realism as opposed to serene idealism. The late Renaissance works include a fine collection of 15th- century Madonnas.
Jewelry, suits of armor, swords and shield bosses, Veronese’s Deposition (1565) and a portrait painting attributed to either Titian or to Lorenzo Lotto are on display in further sections. Outside, a walkaway offers views of the river Adige and the medieval Ponte Scaligero crossing it, and of the 14th- century equestrian statue of Cangrande I which once graced his tomb.
Verona’s Roman amphitheater, completed in AD 30, is the third largest in the world, after Rome’s Colosseum and the amphitheater at Santa Maria Capua Vetere, near Naples . The interior, still virtually intact, could hold almost the entire population of Roman Verona, and visitors would come from across the Veneto to watch gladiatorial combats. Since then, the Arena has seen executions, fairs, bullfights, theater and opera productions.
San Fermo Maggiore
San Fermo Maggiore is not one but two churches: this is most clearly seen from the outside, where the apse has pointed Gothic elements rising above a sturdy Romanesque base. The lower church, begun in 1065 by Benedictine monks on the site of an earlier sanctuary, has frescoes on the simple arcades. The more impressive upper church dates from 1313 and is covered with a splendid ship’s keel roof. The interior also boasts of much medieval fresco work, including a 14th-century section by Stefano da Zevio depicting Musician Angels. Nearby is the Brenzoni Mausoleum by Giovanni di Bartolo, and above it, a 1,426 fresco of the Annunciation ( by Pissanelo (1377-1455).
Piazza Erbe
Since the days of the Roman empire, Piazza Erbe, built on the site of the ancient Roman forum, has been the center of Verona. Many of the city’s fine palazzi, churches, and monuments are nearly as ancient, several dating from the medieval period.
Piazza Erbe is named after the city’s old herb market. Today’s stands, shaded by umbrellas, sell everything from herb-flavored, roasted, suckling pig in bread rolls to succulent fresh-picked fruit and delicious, wild mushrooms. At the northern end of Piazza Erbe stands the Baroque Palazzo Maffei (1668), surmounted by statues. In front of it rises a column supporting the Venetian lion, which marks Verona’s absorption, in 1405, into the Venetian empire. On the west side in the Casa dei Mercanti, a largely 17th-century building that dates originally from 1301. The fountain in the middle of the piazza is often overshadowed by the colorful market stands, though the statue at its center dates from Roman times. It serves as a reminder that this piazza has been used as a marketplace for 2,000 years.
Piazza dei Signori
In the center of the square stands an elegant 19th-century statue of Dante, whose gaze seems fixed on the forbidding Palazzo del Capitano, once the home of Verona’s military commanders. Beside it is the equally intimidating Palazzo della Ragione, the Palace of Reason, or law court; both were built in the 14th century. The courtyard of the law court has a handsome, external, stone staircase, added in 1446-50. Stunning views of the Alps can be enjoyed by those prepared to climb the 84-m (275-ft) Torre dei Lamberti , which rises from the western side of the courtyard. Behind the statue of Dante is the Loggia del Consiglio (1493), the council chamber topped by statues of Roman worthies born in Verona: they include Pliny the Elder, the natural historian, and Vitruvius, the architectural theorist. The square is linked to Piazza Erbe by the Arco della Costa, or the “Arch of the Rib”, named after the whale rib hung beneath it long ago.
Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare’s characters, Romeo and Juliet, didn’t exist, and it is extremely unlikely that Shakespeare ever set eyes on Verona. However, Verona certainly had feuding medieval families, and for the local tourist industry, the opportunities were just too good to miss.
Originally, the story was written by Luigi da Porto of Vicenza in the 1520s and has inspired countless dramas, movies, and ballets. At the Casa di Giulietta (Juliet’s house), No. 27 via Capello, Romeo is said to have climbed to Juliet’s balcony; in reality this is a restored 13th-century inn. Crowds throng to see the simple façade, and stand on the small marble balcony. The run-down Casa di Romeo is a few streets away via Arche Scaligere. The so-called Tomba di Giulietta is displayed in a crypt below the cloister of San Francesco al Corso on Via del Pontiere. The stone sarcophagus lies in an extremely atmospheric setting. Both the Casa di Giulietta and the Tomba di Giulietta are closed on Monday. There is an admission charge.
Verona’s cathedral begun in 1139 and is fronted by a magnificent Romanesque portal carved by Nicolo, one of the two master masons responsible for the façade of San Zeno. Here he sculptured the sword-bearing figures of Oliver and Roland, two of Charlemagne’s knights, whose exploits were much celebrated in medieval poetry. Alongside the stand, evangelists and saints with the wide eyes and flowing beards. To the south there is a second Romanesque portal carved with Jonah and the Whale with comically grotesque caryatids. The highlight of the interior is Titian’s lovely Assumption (1535-40), and outside there is a Romanesque cloister in which the excavated ruins of earlier churches are visible. The 8th-century baptistery, or San Giovanni in Fonte (St. John of the Spring), was built in Roman masonry; the marble font was carved in 1200.
Basilica of St. Zeno
What to Eat
Where to Stay
B&B Sommavalle, Via Marsala, 93
This is a peaceful, low budget, and spacious bed & breakfast, just 15 mins walking distance to the city center, surrounded by nature.
Grand Hotel Verona – Corso Porta Nuova, 105.
An elegant, aristocratic building decorated with paintings and sculptures of some of best Italian artists of the 20th century. From the Grand Hotel one can easily reach by foot, the famous Arena and the other monuments situated in the historic center of Verona.
Hotel Italia Verona – Via Gofreddo Mameli, 58.
Thanks to its large meeting room, restaurant, and comfortable
Siti professionali – clica qua!
position close to the Central Train Station and the city center of Verona, this excellent and economic three star hotel is one of the best accommodations for both business travelers and holiday makers coming to Verona, the romantic city of Romeo and Juliet.
Creazione siti Italia 