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Verona Old Town

Worth visiting

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Type of sights

Heritage building(s) / World heritage site

 
 

Name and address

Verona Old Town

IT-37122 Verona

GEO-data

Geodetic coordinates

45.443001 10.997001

Elevation

62 m

Communication

Panorama Amphitheater Verona
Panorama Amphitheater Verona
Verona, ʺDuomoʺ
Verona, ʺDuomoʺ
Piazza delle Erbe di Verona
Piazza delle Erbe di Verona
Legendary balcony of Juliet in Verona
Legendary balcony of Juliet in Verona

Verona (Italian pronunciation: [veˈroːna]; Venetian Verona, pron. Veròna) is an historic city with a population of about a quarter of a million in north-eastern Italy's Veneto region.

It's most famous as the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Understand

Though close to the more popular tourist destination of Venice Wikivoyage Icon, many people consider Verona a more relaxed and pleasant place to visit. There are many tourists, but the number of tourists per square metre is lower.

Because of the value and importance of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Verona preserved many ancient Roman monuments, no longer in use, in the early Middle Ages, but much of this and much of its early medieval edifices were destroyed or heavily damaged by the earthquake of 3 January 1117 Wikipedia Icon, which led to a massive Romanesque rebuilding. The Carolingian period Versus de Verona Wikipedia Icon contains an important description of Verona in the early medieval era.

See

Verona was a Roman city, and many Roman ruins have been preserved, notably the Arena. The ancient city was badly wrecked by the earthquake of 1117 AD, which led to a flurry of re-building. Therefore, most of the historical sights on view today date from the past 800 years, while the Roman city lies 6 metres below you.

Verona showcases the transition of Western European art from late medieval to early renaissance styles, with its rich offering of 12th-century churches and art museums. Verona's military importance has also left city fortifications and an excellent castle. Look out for architectural details related to the Scaligeri (or della Scala) family, who ruled the city from the 12th to 14th century, e.g. their family emblem is a ladder, scala in Italian.

Top sights are the Arena, Castelvecchio, the churches of St Zeno and of Sant'Anastasia, and the cathedral. Much of the pleasure of Verona comes from simply strolling the medieval centre, especially in the evening when the day-trippers have departed. The Arena hosts performances by the world's top singers, and when these are on the whole city, not just the Arena, will be booked solid.

  • Arena. Open daily from 08:30 to 19:00, but closes early if there's a performance that evening.
    An enormous, spectacular Roman amphitheatre, crumbling on the outside but still in use today. It was erected in the 1st century AD in an elliptical shape, and is the world's third-largest amphitheatre to survive from antiquity. The outer wall fell down during the earthquake of 1117, except for a small section locally called the "Ala" or wing, and enterprising citizens used the rubble to build houses on the back of the structure. What you see today is the masonry supporting the tiered interior. Catch an opera here if you possibly can, but you'll need to book months ahead. There's another smaller amphitheatre across the river, see below.
    €10 regular, €8 for students. Wikipedia Icon (updated Oct 2019)
  • Castelvecchio (Museo Civico di Castelvecchio). M 13:30-19:30, Tu-Su 08:30-19:30, last entry at 18:45.
    A 14th-century, red brick, fortified castle on the banks of the river Adige. The main castle buildings house the city art museum which is packed with a rich collection of medieval sculpture and Renaissance paintings. As well as the museum, the extensive castle ramparts are great for exploring - ideal for families with children who enjoy running around castle fortifications. The Castelvecchio has an adjoining bridge over the river which is open all the time - walk over the bridge for some fantastic views of the castle on the river. Castelvecchio hosts the Circolo Ufficiali, which is reserved to people who joined the army as officers. Sometimes hosts musical events or art exhibitions.
    Free to explore the grounds, €6 (€4.50 for seniors) to visit the museum and climb on the ramparts (cash only). Wikipedia Icon 
  • Piazza delle Erbe. Home of the Forum in Roman times, this is still a focal point of the city. Contains the 'Britney Verona' fountain, 14th-century 'Gardello Tower', and a market that, while picturesque, seems to have become another tourist cliche during its refurbishment. Wikipedia Icon 
  • Lamberti Tower (Torre Lambert). M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa Su holidays 11:00-19:00.
    Completed in 1463, this is the tallest of Verona's towers. The distinctive clock tower looms over the Piazza delle Erbe, and you enter via the palace courtyard. 238 steps to the top, or take the lift, for great views. Ticket also includes admission to the Modern Art Gallery - but this is closed Monday and price is reduced. €5 adult. Wikipedia Icon (updated Mar 2017)
  • Porta Borsari. The remains of a Roman gate, dates to at least the 2nd century AD, but is almost certainly older. Wikipedia Icon 
  • Verona Cathedral (Duomo). It was built to replace an 8th-century church which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1117. Consecrated in 1187, the church features an ornate marble Romanesque façade by the Veronese architect Nicolò; its pillars are supported by two griffins. Stone reliefs around the door include Biblical scenes. The smaller side door is also worth a look - medieval carvings include Jonah being swallowed by a whale. Inside, the nave has many Gothic alterations, and oil paintings around the side chapels include an Assumption by Titian. The Romanesque baptistery adjoining the chapel of Sant'Elena is preserved, with its exquisite marble font and collection of medieval paintings.
    Free entry to the cathedral, €3 for the archaeological exhibition. Wikipedia Icon (updated Oct 2019)
  • Basilica of St Zeno (San Zeno Maggiore). A 10-minute walk NE of Castellvecchio. The church is dedicated to Verona's patron saint, Zeno, a 4th-century North African and a keen fisherman who was ordained Bishop of Verona in 363. Zeno's tomb lies in a shrine in the church undercroft, and he is also commemorated in a grinning medieval statue in full episcopal robes, dangling a golden fish on the end of a fishing rod. The entrance to the church is graced with an ornate Romanesque façade by Nicolò; like the cathedral, this church was erected after the earthquake of 1117. The church was a centre of European pilgrimage for centuries; pilgrims were greeted by huge 10-metre frescoes of St Peter, patron saint of pilgrims. Visitors across the centuries have left their mark - pilgrims happily inscribed graffiti in the frescoes, and signatures dating from 1390 survive to this day. There is also graffiti left by the invading Austrians in 1865. Wikipedia Icon 
  • Chiesa di Sant'Anastasia. Richly decorated in 13th-15th century Gothic style. Note especially the Pelligrini Chapel, with the Pisanello depiction of St George setting off to fight the dragon. €3. Wikipedia Icon (updated Oct 2019)
  • Chiesa di San Giorgietto (San Pietro Martire). A tiny chapel immediately next to Sant'Anastasia. Easily overlooked, this church is richly decorated with early Renaissance frescoes depicting the walled garden of the Virgin Mary.  
  • Chiesa di San Lorenzo. Wikipedia Icon
  • Chiesa di San Fermo Maggiore. Wikipedia Icon
  • Casa di Giulietta (Juliet's House), via Cappello 23 (just off the Piazza delle Erbe.), +39 0458 034303. M 13:30-19:30, Tu-Su 08:30-19:30.
    Presented as the location of the famous balcony love scene from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the house is a major destination for tourist pilgrimage, as the tiny courtyard is normally packed with love-struck teenagers photographing each other on the famous balcony. Shakespeare's characters were fictional, but the house used to belong to the Capello family (Shakespeare's Capulets). Although the house is old, the balcony was added in 1936 and declared to be "Juliet's house" to attract tourists. You can visit the house, which contains a sparse collection of Renaissance frescos rescued from other demolished palaces, and the bed from Zeffirelli's 1968 movie, but not a lot more. The balcony overlooks a tiny courtyard containing a statue of Juliet. There is an unbelievable amount of graffiti and general scrawling on the walls, floor, seats, anything that will hold ink - there is a tradition of writing love messages to Juliet, and visitors leave notes, trinkets and bits of chewing gum fashioned into love hearts. Juliet's house is a popular romantic shrine, but its popularity belies its value; compared to some of the treasures around Verona, Juliet's house has very little to offer. €6. (updated Oct 2019)
  • Casa di Romeo, Via Arche Scaligere, 4. So, if Juliet lived there, what about Romeo? A couple of streets away another house has been designated as his home. It is private, so other than a sign on the wall there is nothing much to see.
  • Juliet's Tomb (at the Capuccin Church). The church also houses the Antonian Fresco Museum

A little further out across the river, find the Castel San Pietro, the Giusti gardens, and the other amphitheatre. The walk along the riverside is usually enjoyable, but in 2016/17, the pavement between the Roman Bridge and the Garibaldi Bridge was under reconstruction, with no end in sight.

  • Castel San Pietro (St Peter's Castle) (across the Ponte Pietra (Peter Bridge); climb the steps up the hill above the Roman Amphitheatre to the Castell San Pietro, or take the funicular (€1 each way)). Closed for restoration as of Oct 2019. This former Austrian barracks dates back to the Austrian occupation of the left bank, and while the building is not open to the public, the views from the hill over Verona are spectacular. Nice sunset views.
  • Giardino Giusti. One of Italy's most important Renaissance/mannerist gardens, with grottoes, fire-breathing masks carved into the hillside, etc. 
  • Roman amphitheatre (Teatro Romano) (across the river on the hill, in the north-east of the city.). €1. Wikipedia Icon 
  • Fort Wohlgemuth & World War I Museum, Via Traversa Castello, 6; Rivoli Veronese (34 km west and north of Verona), +39 0457 281166.The fort was built between 1850 and 1851 on the Mount Castle (227 m), north-west of Rivoli. The fort hosts a museum on World War I and on vintage radios. Adult €5, children under 12 free. (updated Aug 2018)

Sleep

Inside the range of 4 km:

  •   Residenza San Faustino, Corticella San Faustino, 7, Verona, PC IV - V

    "... we have secure place for your bikes."

  •   B&B PonteManin, Via Daniele Manin 9, Verona, PC IV - VII

    "... Cellar room in the ground floor."

  •   Camping Castel San Pietro, Via Castel San Pietro 2, Verona
  •   Hotel Porta Palio, Viale Colonnello Galliano, 21, Verona, PC IV - VII

    "... Underground garage for free, garage with automatic gates."

  •   Hotel Piccolo, Via Giulio Camuzzoni 3/b, Verona, PC IV - VII

    "... Underground garage for free, garage with automatic gates."

  •   Hotel Martini, Via Giulio Camuzzoni, 2, Verona, PC III - VII

    "... Underground garage for free, garage with automatic gates."

  •   B&B Iter Relais, Via Sogare 15/C, Verona, PC IV - VI

    "... your bikes can be housed in our garage which is accessible from the courtyard of the b&b independently."

Useful

Inside the range of 4 km:

Information about copyright

Rights characteristic / license

by-sa: CREATIVE COMMONS Attribution-ShareAlike

Link to the description of the license

creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Input taken over from:

taken over / edited on

10 Oct 2012 - 25 Nov 2021

taken over / edited by

biroto-Redaktion