Verona

Verona Porta Nuova is the main railway station of Verona. It is one of the two stations serving central Verona; the other station, Verona Porta Vescovo, is located at the east of the city. This station is a 25-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride to Piazza Bra.

Start your tour of the city from the central Piazza Bra, with buildings of different ages and architectures: the Arena (Roman amphitheater), the Barbieri Palace and the Gran Guardia are the most famous and admired, but do not forget the Fountain of the Alps, the Visconte Walls, the statue of Vittorio Emanuele II and the Pentagon Tower. On the northwest side of the square there is the Liston, a large sidewalk paved in the eighteenth century, following the curvilinear trend of the square, overlooked by noble palaces that hosts bars, pizzerias and restaurants, always crowded by tourists.

The Arena of Verona is a magnificent amphitheater, the third largest in the world and best preserved, although in 1183 a strong earthquake destroyed the triple order of overlapping arches that surrounded it entirely. It was built in the first century a.C. with the marble extracted from the quarries of the province, and was originally placed outside the city walls. The magnificent amphitheater is the monument that more than any other remembers the Roman origins of the city and also the symbol of Verona all over the world. Every summer, for over a century, its imposing stone steps welcome the six hundred thousand spectators of the world's largest opera opera season. The Roman amphitheater (better known as Arena) is, together with Romeo and Juliet, the symbol of this city all over the world.

(Optional) Visit the Giulietta’s tomb; starting from Piazza Bra is quick and easy. Moving from the Roman amphitheater in the direction of the neoclassical Barbieri palace, the old town walls are bordered along Via Pallone until the intersection with via del Pontiere. Take the right and take a few hundred meters until you see the Laconici gardens of the ex Monastery of San Francesco Al Corso. On your left, you will find the Giulietta's tomb and the Museum of Frescoes. In the underground crypt, which is accessed from the east side of the cloister through a stone staircase, the sarcophagus is discovered in red marble of Verona, which traditionally hosts the mortal remains of young Giulietta Capuleti.

At number 23 of Via Cappello, a few tens of meters from the central Piazza delle Erbe, rises the house where, according to tradition, lived Giulietta Capuleti. An imposing wrought iron gate featuring the coat of arms of the Dal Cappello family seperates his ordeal, in which lovers of every age bear testimony of their love, from the public road. Passing over it, a small but luminous internal courtyard welcomes visitors, anxious to know the places of eternal love. The house is a stark medieval building of a twentieth century, with its brick facade exposed by elegant windows. On the front stands the famous balcony which, according to the tradition, Giulietta spoke with Romeo.

This this is the splendid bronze statue of Juliet, made by the Veronese sculptor Nereo Costantini, and a tombstone on which are shown some verses of Shakespeare's tragedy.

The Well of Love is a small romantic corner in Verona, located just a few steps from the touristy and always crowded Piazza delle Erbe. To reach it, take Corso Porta Borsari to the number 15 and turn left into Vicolo San Marco in Foro. A ten-meter walk on the left opens the narrow blind alley Pozzo San Marco, whose end is the Well of Love. It is a simple medieval not covered and wrought-iron well made in local stone. Inside, tourists throw coins and express a desire for love.

Piazza delle Erbe is an enchanting square of Verona. A corner where palaces, towers, statues and architectural elements of various ages overlapped by creating a harmonious, unique and unrepeatable stratified collage. In international guides is described as one of the most beautiful squares in Italy. In Piazza delle Erbe you will find a colored fruit and vegetable market with many sun umbrellas, surrounded by historic buildings and monuments.

On the north-east side of piazza delle Erbe, the Romanesque Palazzo della Ragione (first on the right coming from via Mazzini or via Cappello) is dominated by an impressive tower, which with its 84 meters tall looks paternally watching the square. It is the Tower of the townhall, better known as the Tower of the Lamberts. It is the highest tower in Verona. From its panoramic bell tower, accessed through a flight of stairs or using a comfortable lift, you enjoy an unmatched view from the town center to the surrounding mountains and Lake Garda.

There is also Piazza dei Signori with the Arche Scaligere, a beautiful square surrounded by monumental buildings linked each other by arcades and arches. At the centre of the square you can see the big statue of Dante who found a refuge in Verona after his exile from Florence.

The Arche Scaligere (Scaligero Arches) are one of the most impressive sites in the city of Verona: a small private, monumental and scenic cemetery that for over seven hundred years has welcomed the mortal remains of the ancient Lords of Verona. Here lie the Princes of the Della Scala family, with their elaborate equestrian sculptures rising to the sky as in a petrified tournament. These statues are situated a few steps from Piazza delle Erbe and Scaligeri palaces, on one side of the church of Santa Maria Antica.

The house of Romeo Montecchi is located in the street of the Arche Scaligere, not far from that of Giulietta Capuleti in Via Cappello and the young Romeo, out of the house, traveled only a few hundred meters to reach by foot the fateful balcony where his beloved awaited him with tremendous anxiety. The building, located almost at the Arche Scaligere, is a typically medieval, grandiose and externally well-preserved house. An almost imposing building, arranged on three sides around a large internal courtyard and repaired from a high merlate wall on which the front door opens. Unfortunately, since the recently restored private-owned building, it is not possible to visit the inner courtyard.

The Ponte Pietra (Italian: "Stone Bridge") is the oldest bridge in Verona. Completed in 100BC, this Roman arch bridge crosses the Adige River. It originally flanked another Roman bridge, the Pons Postumius. Together, they provided the city (on the right bank) with access to the Roman theatre on the east bank. The arch nearest to the right bank of the Adige was rebuilt in 1298 by Alberto I della Scala. Four arches of the bridge were blown up by retreating German troops in World War II, but rebuilt in 1957 with original materials. (Wiki)

Although hidden in a tiny, austere square, the Cathedral of Verona (in Piazza Duomo nr. 21) is the most beautiful and precious church in the city. Outwardly harmonious and high on the roofs of the center, it was built on the remains of a former early Christian basilica; it was consecrated in 1187 by Pope Urban III and dedicated to Saint Mary Assunta. Part of the cathedral complex, and definitely worth visiting, are also the Cloisters of the Canonics (built in 1120 with a double order of Romanesque columns in red marble).

Also part of the cathedral complex, the Canonicale Museum preserves interesting archaeological finds from Roman buildings in the area, precious sacred furnishings, sculptures and paintings from the 12th to the 18th centuries.

Built around the middle of the 14th century by Prince Cangrande II of the Scala, after the Arena amphitheater is the most magnificent and impressive monument of the city. Catelvecchio is a very large fortress that strikes for its imposing appearance and its formidably military shape, accentuated by the merlature that follow the walls and the seven corner towers. Today, the castle hosts the headquarters of the Civic Museum of Verona, which is one of the largest collections of Italian art, with pinacoteca, sculpture gallery and art library open to the public.

The main Romanesque masterpiece in Italy, the basilica of San Zeno is one of the most important buildings in the city. It is dedicated to the eighth bishop of Verona, a saint of African origin, to whom many miracles are attributed and conversion to the Christianity of the Venetian populations. The original nucleus of the Basilica of San Zeno dates back to the 4th century when a small church was erected near the burial site of the Saint.

By the way, when you are near the Basilica of San Zeno, do not forget to check out the Gelateria Zeno, where you can find one of the most good ice-creams in Verona!