After the Colosseo, Verona’sArena is one of the most well conserved ones in the world. Built in the 1st century A.C., it can host 22.000 persons and it has become one of the most famous international stageS for concerts and lyrical operas (for example, Turandot by Giacomo Puccini; Carmen by Bizet; The Traviata or The Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi and many others). Every year, between June and August, the Arena hosts a famous Opera Festival, with great sceneries and world stars of fine singing. But also rock stars performed at the Arena, such as Pink Floyd and Deep Purple; Whitney Houston and Dire Straits;Rod Stewart, Sting, Alicia Keys and many others. Participating in these evenings is very exciting: just before the show starts, at sunset, the spectators light a thousand candles that create a great atmosphere.
2 Juliet’s Home
Veronais not only an ancient city of art but also a site of love. Just here William Shakespeare set the location of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, whose House is a monument located in via Cappello, in the heart of the historical centre. I”s one of the most romantic placeS in the city. Needless to say, it’s full of tourists in every season. In the countryard, there is a bronze statue that portrays the young girl near which it’s almost obligatory a photo or a selfie.
The house is a four-storey gothic building with an elegant stone balcony that, in summer, hosts short daily representations in English of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet footage. Inside, the rooms are well restored, full of photos, prints, furnishings and objects related to the history of the two unfortunate lovers.Thanks to a multimedia station, you can write letters and leave messages to Juliet.
3 Piazza delle Erbe
It’s one of the most beautiful and lively squares in Italy, surrounded by towers, medieval buildings and Renaissancepalaces with painted facades.In the centre there is the fountain with the statue of Madonna Verona.Every day except Sundays, the square hosts the market, on whose stalls you can buy a bit of everything and where on hot days you can refresh yourself buying big glasses full of fresh and coloured fruit pieces. All around the square, there are also bars and pubs where you can have fresh drinks and the traditional “spritz”, the red aperitif accompanied by olives and chips.
4 An enchanting view from the Lamberti Tower
In the heart of Verona, just near Erbe Square, there is Piazza dei Signori, another magnificent square, surrounded by ancient buildings (Palazzo del Capitano, Loggia del Consiglio, Palazzo della Ragione…) and the old Lamberti Tower, a medieval one, 84 meters high and equipped with a modern lift, which will take you to the top from where you can enjoy a fantastic view, admiring the whole city, the river Adige that runs through it, the Arena that seems to be able to touch with one hand and the surrounding hills.A truly exciting experience that allows you to understand how beautiful Verona’s territory is.
5 The magic of Castelvecchio
On Adige river, Castelvecchio is the Renaissance residence of the Lords Della Scala.Its imposing crenellated walls are spectacular and connect the two banks of the river.The interior has been transformed into a museum and houses collections of weapons, archaeological finds from various eras, paintings and valuable works of art by famous artists like Mantegna, Rubens, Pisanello, Veronese.
6 The bell towers that mirror themselves in the river
Verona has fantastic churches, visiting them means taking a journey to the roots of Christianity. Among these, not to be missed is Sant’Anastasia Basilica, which rises where the Adige draws its second loop.It is considered the most important Gothic monument of the city, a wonder of arches, columns, sculptures and polychrome marbles. A few hundred meters away, the Duomo shows a very high bell tower, which looms over the beautiful square surrounded by ancient houses. A pair of red marble lions support the columns of the magnificent portal. The entire complex also includes the Church of Sant’Elena, the Baptistery, the Cloister of Canons, the Museum and the ChapterLibrary.
Where the river Adige draws its first loop, there is the Basilica of San Zeno, dedicated to the patron saint of Verona. A masterpiece of Romanesque architecture! The interiors show a great wealth of styles and works of art, first of all, the great painting by Andrea Mantegna “The Madonna on the Throne”.
Every first Sunday of the month, the large square in front of the basilica hosts a beautiful antique market.
The churches can be visited by paying a ticket of 3 euros against which audio guide in six languages and informative brochures are provided.
