“There Is No World Without Verona’s Walls” – Taken from “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

Verona is the city of love: it was chosen by Shakespeare as the scenario for the most famous love story in the world: the tragic relationship between Romeo and Juliet whose gothic houses can be still seen visiting this city.

However staying in Verona you can discover much more: art, history, music, theatre, nature and delicious wines and food. The well preserved historical centre of this city is very ancient and wide making Verona one of the most beautiful and fascinating cities in Italy. For all this reasons it has been firstly defined by the UNESCO as the Capital of Music and Poetry and successively, in 2001, it was included in the World Heritage List.

Verona is the city of opera: in summertime its Roman amphitheatre called Arena is the seat of the most important Opera season in the world fascinating every time 16.000 international spectators.

Verona also is the city of art and history: this city’s origins date back to more than 2000 years ago. Here you can admire all the architectonical styles: the Roman, the Romanesque, the Gothic, the Renaissance, the Baroque, the Neoclassical and the Liberty one. All the local churches can be considered some veritable museums thanks to presence of several frescos, paintings and sculptures made by great Italian artists like Pisanello, Andrea Mantenga, Tiziano and Paolo Veronese. For this reason a guided tour of the city is required to better admire all its marvels.

Before touring throughout Verona by foot you can do a tour by bus to reach all those monuments that are too far from the historical centre like the church of San Zeno, Castelvecchio, the Arco dei Gavi, Porta Borsari (I century After Christ),  the church of San Giorgio, the bridge called Ponte Pietra and the Roman Theatre.  By bus you can finally reach the hills surrounding Verona called “Torricelle”: from this point you can see a wonderful landscape of this city. After that you can visit all the historical centre by foot.

The Medieval Period

The Verona’s monuments built during the Middle Age are:

The Church of San Zeno

This is a beautiful Romanesque basilica placed at the middle of the namesake square with its façade made up by tufa stones and rose-coloured marble.

Beside this construction there was a Benedictines’ monastery whose crenellated tower is visible still today together with its beautiful Romanesque-gothic cloister ornamented by several little red marble columns.

Inside this church you can admire many frescos and a wonderful wooden ceiling. On the main altar there is the Renaissance painting by Andrea Mantegna and on the main door there are beautiful bronze tiles that date back to the XII and to the XIII century. In the crypt there are the memorabilia of San Zeno who is the Verona’s Patrona Saint celebrated on the 21th of May.

This church is placed in San Zeno Square where, according to tradition, Tommaso Da Vico in 1531 gave to inhabitants a devise to organize every year a feast with dumpling, cheese and wine: this is the legendary origin of the Verona’s Carnival.

Castelvecchio

This castle was built by the Scaligeri family during the XIV century. Even if it seems to be just a single construction it is made up three perimeter walls. Its bridge is a veritable engineering masterpiece: it was built during the XIV century on a stretch of the Adige river and it is characterized by three arches. Crossing the wide courtyard of this castle you can arrive to the Museum placed inside this construction: here you can find other examples of Medieval art like Lombard’s manufactured products, Romanesque sculptures and gothic or Roman paintings. The most important work is the XIV century equestrian statue dedicated to Cangrande I della Scala.

The Church of San Lorenzo

This Romanesque church was built during the XII century: it is one of the most beautiful religious constructions in this region thanks to its bichromatic wall and to the presence of some towers on its façade. Inside this church you can admire the Main Altar’s XVI century painting and the right aisle ornamented by XIV and XVI century frescos.

During the weekdays you can visit this church from 10:00 h. A.M. to 18:00 h. P.M. and on Sunday or during public holidays from 13:00 h. A.M. to 18:00 h. P.M. Visits can’t be done during religious services.

The Verona Cathedral

The Church of Santa Anastasia

This Basilica was built during the XII century and it surely is the most relevant gothic religious monument in Verona. Externally you can see its unfinished façade with its splendid main door, its polychrome marbles, its relieves and its frescos.

Inside this imposing church you can find 12 big white marble columns supporting gothic capitals. Its structure is based on a Latin cross divided into three aisles where there are splendid altars and wonderful chapels ornamented with paintings. Two very interesting features are the hanging grave of Cortesia di Serego and the famous “San Giorgio e la principessa” fresco by Pisanello placed above the Pellegrini Chapel.

Many classic music concerts take place in this church thanks to its perfect acoustics.

The House of Romeo

The Arche Scaligere

The Arche Scaligere are gothic funeral monuments built during the XIV century by the Scaligeri family who wanted this construction to be noticed for its beauty and for its impressiveness.

Piazza dei Signori

This square is nicknamed the “Verona’s drawing room” thanks to its beauty and to the presence of many wonderful historical palaces like the Palazzo del Comune, the Loggia del Consiglio, the Palazzo del Governo. This place is also ornamented by many arches and by the statue dedicated to Dante Alighieri.

 

This square’s beautiful and elegant lodge is considered the first Renaissance building of Verona. This is a veritable artistic masterpiece thanks to its sculptures and its pictorial decorations. Not so far from this monument there are the “Lion’s mouths”: the holes where, during the Venetian period, people put their secret denunciations against usurers, smugglers and plotters.

The Lamberti Tower

This tower was built in 1172 by the Lamberti family and during the next decades it reached a height of 83 meters becoming the highest tower in the city. Its internal structure is now used as a museum.

Piazza delle Erbe

This square covers quite completely the area of the Verona Roman Forum whose current shape dates back to the medieval recreations made by the Scaligeri family who added the Fountain of Madonna Verona, the Domus Mercatorum and the Gardello Tower. This square is surrounded by very important historical buildings and monuments like the Palazzo del Comune and the Lamberti Tower.

Other features of this square are:

- The XIV century block of flats called “Case dei Mazzanti” and ornamented by frescos.

- The monumental Maffei Palace characterized by its terrace provided with an hanging garden full of citrus trees. You can also note this palace’s balustrade ornamented by statues.

- The Gardello Tower provided with a bell used to beat hours.

- The “Madonna Verona” Fountain that, with its central Roman statue, is the most ancient monument in this square.

- The big white marble column supporting a Lion that was the symbol of the Venetian Domination.

Going on with your tour throughout the Medieval part of Verona you can also see:

The Juliet’s House

The Juliet’s Grave and the religious compound of San Francesco al Corso

The Church of San Fermo and Rustico

The Church of San Giovanni in Valle

This religious construction’s history is which one of three churches: the crypt dates back to the V-VI century, the second church was built by the Lombard during the VI-VII century but it was successively destroyed by the earthquake in 1117. The current Romanesque church dates back to 1120 being characterized by a simple façade, by three internal aisles, by its crypt and by a raised presbytery. At the right side of this construction there are the ruins of its beautiful Romanesque cloister and its squared bell tower. On the church’s wall there are sepulchral coats and memorial tablets. Inside this church you can admire some baroque altars of the inferior church, the main altar belonging to the superior one and a Renaissance baptistery.

In the crypt there are beautiful Greek marble sarcophaguses that date back to the early Christianity.

The Church of Santo Stefano

This is one of the most ancient paleochristian basilicas in Verona because it was built during the V century. Externally it has a Romanesque structure: its XII century façade is characterized by typical bichromatic tufa stones and fire strips. Inside this church you will find three aisles full of paintings and beautiful chapels: the most important one among them is the baroque Innocenti Chapel.

The Roman Period

Verona was one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire preserving still now the evidences of its glorious past: it is, in fact, the Italian city characterized by the greatest number of archaeological finds after Rome.

The Verona’s monuments belonging to the Roman period are:

The Gavi Arch (Arco dei Gavi)

This is the celebratory arch of an important Roman family and it was built during the I century after Christ. It is entirely made up by Verona white stones representing one of the rare examples of a very important Roman architectonical typology.

On the hill near Verona you can still see the tiers, the arches and the ruins of the Roman Theatre built during the I century after Christ and still used during summertime for the Opera Season called “Estate Teatrale Veronese” (“Theatrical Veronese Summer”)  and for the Verona Jazz festival’s concerts.

The guided visit throughout the Roman part of Verona goes on into the urban centre where, watching through some circle windows of the Scaligeri’s palaces, you can admire some splendid mosaics of a Roman home. From this point you will reach Piazza delle Erbe where there was the Roman Forum destined to be successively modified during the Middle Age. 

At the other side of this Roman area there are Porta dei Leoni with its double Republican and Imperial façade together with the ruins of the defensive walls. Following this ancient bastions you will reach the most important Roman monument in Verona: the Roman amphitheatre called Arena.

Another interesting evidence of the Roman domination also is Porta dei Corsari that was one of the two main entries of this city together with Porta dei Leoni.

The guided visit throughout the Roman side of Verona can be completed visiting these two museums:

The Archaeological Museum placed in the Roman Theatre: here you can see Greek pots, mosaics, sculptures, glass objects and ancient tools together with sacred and sepulchral inscriptions found all around this territory.

The Maffeiano Lapidary Museum: this is one of the most ancient European museums containing 650 very important finds like Greek, Latin, Arab and Jewish inscriptions.

The Venice’s Period

In 1404 Verona became part of the Venice’s Republic and so many winged lions (the symbol of Venice) were built all around this city.

The guided tourist route throughout the Venetian part of Verona starts from the Venetian walls where you can admire the Renaissance architectonical masterpieces by Michele Sanmicheli like the imposing Porta Nuova, Porta Palio and Porta San Zeno.

The Verona’s monuments belonging to the Venetian period are:

The San Bernardino’s Monastery

Here you can admire the painting by Francesco Monsignori and the Pellegrini Chapel by Sanmicheli who took inspiration from the Pantheon in Rome. You can also visit the Morone Room full of frescos representing full size monks and an imposing Madonna with Child. 

The church of San Giorgio

This church has a XVII century white marble façade carrying in its two lateral niches the statues of S. Giorgio and of S. Lorenzo Giustiniani. The rest of this construction is made up by fire and beside it there is the rebuilt striking cloister belonging to the ancient monastery. This church’s internal space is characterized by an unique nave containing many pictorial treasures.

The Austrian Period

After the Congress of Vienna, Verona became in 1815 part of the Austrian Empire. The Austrian engineers started to modify this city’s architectonical structure by building a formidable series of fortification.

You can visit these walls touring by bus or by foot noting how the Austrian interventions are perfectly mixed with the pre-existent Venetian structures. During this journey you can see the Neoclassical exterior of the Military Hospital and going through Porta Fura you can visit the interior of the Neoclassic Arsenal. After that you can also see the exterior of the Carli Palace: today this construction is the seat of NATO offices but in the past it was the residence of the Austrian Field Marshal Radetzky.

Your tour throughout the Austrian part of Verona can successively go on in the urban centre arriving in the wide Bra Square characterized by the presence of many historical buildings. Here you can find a garden made up by Lebanese cedars, magnolias, firs and flowerbeds enriched by the presence of the fountain called “Fontana delle Alpi” (representing the relationship between this city and Munich) and by the statue dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy.

Staying here you can visit the imposing neoclassical Barbieri Palace that was the seat of the Austrian army. Now it is the seat of the Verona’s municipality being also called “Gran Guardia Nuova”.

In this square there also is the famous Arena and a big sidewalk called “Liston” that connects the shops’ street with the end of this square where there are the arches carrying a watch. Taking a walk on the Liston you can find many cafés and restaurants where you can have a rest tasting some delicious local dishes.

Other two features of the Austrian side of Verona are:

The San Pietro Castle

This construction dominates Verona being placed on the top of the San Pietro hill where there also is the Roman Theatre. This Neo-Romanesque castle was built for the Austrian army  in 1851.

The Fortified Walls Park

The imposing Verona’s fortified walls extend more than 9km all around the historical centre being the biggest ones in Europe. In their completely preserved structure there are fortifications built between the XIII and the XIX century. They are divided into two parts by the Adige river being characterized by different features according to the particular nature of the soil (that is level on the right side of the river, and hill on its left side).

The Fortified Walls Park is made up by those fortifications built on the right side of the Adige river starting from the Basilica of San Zeno. Following the external perimeter of these walls you can see many ancient bastions.

Other fascinating places that deserve your attention in Verona are:

The beautiful surrounding hills called “Torricelle” together with their territory where there are the forts of  San Mattia, of Santa Sofia, and of San Leonardo and the Massimiliane Towers (four Austrian towers built in 1837).

On the left side of the Adige river there are the Verona most ancient district called “Veronetta”, the monumental cemetery, the Porta Campo di Marzio and the Neo-gothic Santa Marta barracks.

In Verona there also are many bridges and the most important ones among them are:

The Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge)

This bridge is made up by five arches representing the sole Roman bridge survived in this city.

The Ponte Scaligero (Scaligero Bridge)

This bridge (also called “Ponte di Castelvecchio“) is defined by historians as “the most admirable medieval construction in Verona”. It was built during the XIV century with a structure made up by three fire arches characterized by fortifications and battlements.

Public Gardens in Verona

The Giusti Garden

This is one of the most famous Italian gardens that was also visited by Cosimo de’ Medici, Goethe, and Mozart. In its inferior part there is a typical Italian garden made up by a box hedge, a labyrinth, by many cypresses, by mythological statues and by Roman epigraphs. In its superior part there is a wood where you can find rare herbs together with artificial rocks and caves. Following a path you can arrive at the top of the hill to see a wonderful landscape.

Nature trails

In the past scientists called the surrounding Monte Baldo mountain range “Hortus Europae” because of the presence of an extraordinary variety of flora species. Staying in Verona you can easily reach this mountain through the new panoramic cableway. Thanks to this excursion you will discover that in this mountain territory there is an ethnic group that still preserves its own language and habits: this population is called “Cimbri”.

The north-eastern part of this territory is part of the Lessinia Natural Park where you can visit:

the Bolca Fossils Museum: here you can find many fossils of tropical fishes found in this area;

The Veja Bridge made up by a big rocky arch recognized as a natural monument;

The Molina Waterfalls Park where you can find wonderful waterfalls, green lakes and natural paths.

In this plateau you can also do excursions, go mountain biking, do trekking or horse tourism.

The north-western part of this territory is delimited by the Garda Lake where you can also do many activities like sailing, windsurfing, diving or fishing. You can also do rafting on the Adige River, do paragliding on the Lessini hills and on the Monte Baldo, or you can have great fun going to all the fun fairs, the animal parks, and the golf fields that are placed very near to Verona. This city also is very closed to other beautiful Italian towns like Venice, Padova, Vicenza, and Mantova.

Finally you can also easily reach the Trentino region with its wide and magnificent Dolomites ski slopes.

Gastronomy

Staying in Verona you can drink a great variety of wines like which ones called the Amarone, the Valpolicella Superiore, the Bardolino, the Lugana, and the Soave.

There also are several typical gastronomical products like all the cheeses and cold cuts produced on the Lessini hills, the olive oil, the Garda lake’s fish and the Verona’s valleys rice.

As a first course you can choose the potatoes dumplings (gnocchi di patate), the pasta with beans or the “Pappardelle” with livers. As a second dish you can choose the boiled meat with “pearà” or the “pastissada de caval”.

One of the most typical Verona’s dessert is the “Pandoro” traditionally cooked at Christmas.

Traditions

The Santa Lucia Feast

Events

The “Bacanal del Gnoco“, the Verona’s Carnival

Estate Teatrale Veronese (Theatrical Verona’s Summer)

The Verona Jazz Festival

The Nativity Sets International Exhibition in the Verona Arena

The Verona Opera Festival

The Summer concerts in the Verona’s Arena

Vinitaly

The St Valentine’s guided tour throughout Verona

TOCATI’ ! The international festival of traditional street games in Verona

The Verona’s trade fairs

How to arrive in Verona

By Plain

The Verona’s airport is called “Catullo/Villafranca” and it is 12km far from the urban centre. This airport is connected to the Verona Railway Station called “Porta Nuova” through a bus service that leaves every 20 minutes.

Thanks to several scheduled flights, Verona is connected to Milan Linate, to Rome and to the main southern and European cities.

By Train

The main railway station is which one called “Verona Porta Nuova” connected to the three railway lines Milan-Venice, Rome-Brennero and Verona-Mantova-Modena.

By Car

You can reach Verona going through these highways and free ways:

The SS11 free way called “Padana Superiore” that connects Milan to Venice crossing Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padova and Mestre;

The SS12 free way called “Dell’Abetone e del Brennero” that connects Brennero to Pisa crossing Bolzano, Trento, Verona, Modena, and Lucca;

The SS62 free way called “Della cisa” that conncets Verona to Parma;

The SS434 free way called “Tranpolesana” that connects Verona to Rovigo;

The A4 highway called “Serenissima” that connects Milan to Venice (you should take the Verona sud exit);

The A22 highway that connects Modena to Brennero (you should take the Verona Nord exit).

…Enjoy your stay in Verona!

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