Verona – top 10 favorite places and landmarks

1. Piazza delle Erbe, Verona.  In the historic center of Verona, the main place is dedicated to the beautiful rectangular square Piazza delle Erbe, part of which in the past and is now a functioning market.

Erbe Square

Erbe Square

The square was built on the site of an ancient Roman forum and is famous as one of the most picturesque in all of Italy. In its northern part is the marble column with the lion of San Marco – a symbol of the Venetian Republic, of which Verona was part for more than 3 centuries until 1797. In the center of Piazza Erbe and today we can admire the beautiful fountain, built in the distant 1368, and the Roman statue “Madonna of Verona”, placed in the middle of the fountain, was made in the 4th century. Several of the buildings on the square date back to the early 14th century, such as the beautiful Domus Mercatorum or the Torre del Gardello, and construction of the remarkable Palazzo Maffei in Piazza delle Erbe began in the next century and did not end until the 17th century.

2. Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, Verona. The Basilica of San Zeno, rebuilt after the earthquake in 1117, is considered the most beautiful building – a representative of the Romanesque style in northern Italy. Apart from the beautiful statues and frescoes dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, the biggest attraction of the church is the altar decorated with the “Triptych” by Andrea Mantegna – one of the most prominent representatives of the Quatrocento.

Basilica of San Zeno, VeronaBasilica of San Zeno, Verona

Basilica of San Zeno, Verona photo: flickr

3. Torto dei Lamberti, Verona.  Immediately above Erbe Square rises the city’s tallest tower (84 m), built by the Lamberti family in 1172 as a symbol of their power and prosperity. During the Middle Ages, the cityscape of Verona was dominated by many similar towers, built according to this custom, but to this day very few of them are preserved. The Lamberti Tower was completed to its present size and appearance later – during the Venetian period. It had 2 bells – “Rengo” and “Marangona”, which informed the inhabitants of the city on various occasions. Nowadays, the Lamberti Tower is admired by all visitors to Verona, and climbing to the top is always rewarded with breathtaking views of the entire city!

4. Arena di Verona.The unique Arena di Verona still functions today, and was built almost 2000 years ago! The old Roman amphitheater in Piazza Bra in Verona is the third largest after the Colosseum in Rome and the amphitheater in Capua. In ancient times, the theater in Verona accommodated about 22,000-25,000 people. The original first circle of the façade, almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1117, was lined with white and pink limestone from the Valpolicella region. Nevertheless, the Arena di Verona is one of the best preserved amphitheaters in antiquity. During the Renaissance, the first attempts were made to restore it to its functions and to perform again on its stage, and since 1913 the amphitheater has been the venue for the famous Verona Opera Festival – one of the most important summer music events in Europe. as well as many other interesting events and concerts.

Arena di VeronaArena di Verona

Arena di Verona

5. Piazza dei Signori, Verona . Due to the historical significance of the square in the past as a center of the city, it houses many palaces and former administrative buildings. Here are the  Palazzo Tribunali (court),  Palazzo del Capitano, Palazzo del Comune, Palazzo del Governo , which was once the palace of the Scaligeri family, who ruled Verona between the 13th and 15th centuries. On the square is the building of the Old Town Hall (Palazzo della Ragione ), started in 1192 and reconstructed several times. An interesting landmark in the center of the small Piazza Signori is the statue of Dante Alighieri, built in 1865, for which it is informally known as Dante’s Square. However, the most architecturally perfect building in Piazza Signori is the Loggia del Consiglio , by Fra Giovanni Giocondo in the late 15th century.

6. Casa di Giulietta, Verona. The house, the balcony and the bronze statue of Juliet from Shakespeare’s immortal tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” are undoubtedly the most popular attraction in the city. They are located on Via Capello №23 and should only be taken in a fun way. These attractions can be said to be a real product of the tourism business, and with them the city manages to take advantage of the world fame that Shakespeare’s work gives him. Shakespeare himself has never been to Verona, nor do his characters have anything to do with real people or events. Juliet’s house is just an old building from the 13th century, and the balcony was completed in the 1930s to fit into the overall imitation of the decor. And this is how Verona became known everywhere as the “city of love” „

The famous balcony in Juliet's houseThe famous balcony in Juliet's house

The famous balcony in Juliet’s house

7. Castelvecchio and the Ponte Scaligero. Unlike Juliet’s fictional house, Castelvecchio with its bridge over the Adige River is a real defensive fortress, built between 1354 and 1376 by Cangrande II della Scala, ruler of Verona by the Scaligeri family. The castle and the fortress walls were to protect Verona from enemies of La Scala, such as the Sforza, Gonzaga, Venetian families, and to provide a protective corridor to Tyrol in case of danger. Today, Castelvecchio houses the Castelvecchio Museum, which houses paintings and sculptures by Italian and European masters from the 14th to the 18th century, weapons and other interesting collections in a total of 29 halls.

CastelvecchioCastelvecchio

Castelvecchio, photo: flickr

8. Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricular (Duomo di Verona). The cathedral dates mainly from the distant 12th century, and the interior was almost completely changed in the 15th and 16th centuries. Among the greatest virtues of the Duomo in Verona are the western façade in a typical Romanesque style, the south and west gates, the bell tower, the Gothic interior with frescoes from 1503, painted by Falconeto, and Titian’s perfect painting “Assumption”.

9. Piazza Bra, Verona. Verona’s main city square, Bra, after the city gates before entering the heart of Verona’s historic city, is one of the largest in Europe. If you sit in one of the long rows of cafes and restaurants, you will have the opportunity to contemplate the 2,000th history of Verona. Opposite is the ancient and stunningly beautiful Arena di Verona, in the other directions of the square are the neoclassical buildings of Palazzo Barbieri, Palazzo della Gran Guardia, and in the middle is the statue of the first king of united Italy Victor Emmanuel II.

10. In the vicinity of Verona – Lake Garda. Verona is quite close to the beautiful Lake Garda, about 45 km from Desenzano del Garda, so as a motive for travel number 10 we can include it. And in this way the romantic mood can continue for a few more days with walks and beautiful views around the lake.

Lake GardaLake Garda

Lake Garda

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