Verona, what to see in the city of Romeo and Juliet

It is popular for being the city of love, thanks to the love tragedy of Romeo e Giulietta by Shakespeare, inspired precisely by those places and the main source of the tourism of Verona. But this wonderful city is also much more. In this short guide we will explain what to see in Verona illustrating to you the places of interest of the Venetian city.

Verona: what to do and what to visit

What to see in Verona

That the city of Verona it was a place suitable for romantic walks, you can immediately imagine it. The very ancient and well-preserved historic center, the picturesque corners, the wells and courtyards, the porticoes, are examples. And then there is theAdige, the river that runs through the city. To connect one part of the city to another, some bridges of undoubted beauty were built, including the Scaliger Bridge and Stone Bridge. All around you can admire ancient buildings and bell towers. And then the squares. Piazza delle Erbe, which is the heart of the city, Piazza Bra e Old Market Square.

Verona is also the city of'Sand, the largest opera house in the world built twenty centuries ago. The summer opera season represents one of the major global attractions for fans of this musical branch. In this open-air theater with perfect acoustics the notes of Aida and its triumphal march echo.

Verona is the homeland of pandoro but also of Italian gastronomy. Anyone who goes to Verona cannot avoid tasting it Pastissada de Caval, Boiled with the Pearà, Island risotto, tortellini from Valeggio all washed down with a glass of Valpolicella area (Veneto), recito, Custoza, suave e Bardolino.

Get to Verona it is not difficult. Its central location makes it reachable from the major Italian road and railway arteries. You may have asked yourself what to do in Verona, what to visit. Here is a short list of places of interest in Verona and things you absolutely must not miss.

1 l'Arena di Verona,

THEl'Arena di Verona, it is the Roman amphitheater key symbol of the city together with the House of Juliet. Built in the XNUMXst century BC and used for gladiator shows, it is currently home to concerts and shows by various Italian and international artists.

2 Verona, Piazza Bra

Piazza Bra a Verona it is the heart of the city, where you can enjoy an excellent aperitif while admiring the Arena, the Palazzo della Gran Guardia, which today houses international and conferences, Barbieri Palace and Maffeiano Lapidary Museum. And the center of Verona and it is very characteristic indeed.

3 Verona, Juliet's House

Together withSand la Giulietta's home it is the building most frequented by tourists. It is located in via Cappello, 23. Its Gothic style is an attraction for art lovers. It will be impossible for you not to recognize it, as upon your arrival you will find the walls covered with love messages written on post-it notes and letters. You can visit the house and the famous balcony, symbol of Shakespeare's love story. Don't forget to immortalize the moment by taking a photo with the statue of Juliet, located right under the balcony. Touch her right breast, it seems to be an aid for love success. You never know!

4 Piazza dei Signori in Verona

Piazza dei Signori a Verona: from Juliet's house, moving towards the Arco della Costa, you will reach this square. From its arch hangs a whale rib. It is said that it will come off when a pure soul passes down there. Try to pass by!

5 Piazza delle Erbe

It is the oldest square in Verona and is located right above the area of ​​the Roman Forum. It was the center of political and economic life; over time the Roman buildings gave way to medieval ones. Piazza delle Erbe it is also called simply Herb Square.

6 Cavalcaselle Fresco Museum

The convent complex of San Francesco al Corso dates back to the 1935th century. In 1975 Antonio Avena, then Director of the Civic Museums, opened to the public the so-called "Juliet's Tomb", i.e. the place where the ark had been placed which according to legend welcomed the bodies of Romeo and Juliet, making it a tourist attraction . In the adjoining “GB Cavalcaselle” Fresco Museum, inaugurated in XNUMX, cycles of frescoes from Veronese buildings from the Middle Ages to the sixteenth century and sculptures from the nineteenth century are exhibited, while the church of San Francesco houses large-scale works on canvas from the sixteenth century to Eighteenth century. In the basement there is a deposit of Roman amphorae from the XNUMXst century AD found in excavations in the area. Medieval and modern stone material (architectural and sculptural) is stored in the courtyard in preparation for the construction of a lapidary.

7 Early Christian basilicas and Roman Domus

Under the floor of the church of Sant'Elena and the cloister of the Capitolare the remains of two early Christian basilicas, the oldest and smallest from the mid-XNUMXth century. AD, the largest and most recent from the mid-XNUMXth AD, with beautiful mosaic floors.

The remains of the bank are visible in the large room beneath the bank offices roman domus very well preserved with rooms paved with mosaics and wrought iron around a small courtyard with peristyle.

8 Museum of Castelvecchio

Il Museum of Castelvecchio it houses important collections of medieval, Renaissance and modern art (until the XNUMXth century):
– 29 exhibition rooms of paintings, sculptures, archaeological finds, weapons with 622 works on display
– Specialized cabinets: approximately 90.000 coins and medals, 2.650 drawings, 8.000 prints, 800 photographic plates
– in storage: 2.500 paintings, around 500 sculptures and bronzes, around 800 furniture and decorative arts objects, 300 weapons and 200 pieces from ethnographic collections
In addition to the exhibition rooms, the Drawings and Prints Cabinet and the Numismatic Cabinet are present: management, administrative and technical offices, general archive, photo library, room for temporary exhibitions, catalog sales point, handicraft workshops.
The restoration, which began at the end of the XNUMXs, saw the director Licisco Magagnato and the designer Carlo Scarpa collaborate closely both in thinking about a philological restoration of the spaces and in choosing and placing the works functionally and emotionally closest to the idea of ​​a museum as total work of art. Since then the Castelvecchio Museum has become a point of reference.

9 Remains of the curia and a cult complex

Accessible from the 12 Apostoli restaurant and from a private house, a stretch of the west side of the curia podium, part of the paving of a hinge, the base of a tower house and for 37 meters the external side of the eastern wall of the portico which it closed the supposed complex of the imperial cult.

10 Verona Radio Museum

The museum illustrates the history of radio, from the first scientific equipment, which goes from the beginning of the twentieth century to the design of the fifties, through 700 devices from 7 nations.

11 Hypogeum of Santa Maria in Stelle

An eighteenth-century entrance next to the parish church leads to a corridor onto which there are two rooms paved with mosaics, one of which features beautiful paintings, very well preserved, with scenes from the Old and New Testaments dating back to the XNUMXth century AD. The hypogeum, however, is older and was created with the function of collecting water. In the last stretch after the classrooms it still maintains this function and with a narrow passage it reaches a spring.

12 MA African Museum

The Ma – African Museum, displaying traditional African artistic objects. Life in Africa” is narrated by sculptures, artefacts, furnishings, clothing, work tools, musical instruments and much more, through the reconstruction of the fundamental stages of existence from birth to death. African populations underline with special celebrations the different phases of human life with rites of passage and with symbolic representations and celebrations, which vary from one ethnic group to another, depicted in artisanal and artistic objects.

Verona in brief: how to get there, where to sleep, nightlife

13 How to get to Verona and how to get around

If you decide not to travel by car, there are two best solutions to reach Verona. Arriving by train, in the station Verona Porta Nuova, you can reach the center in 15 minutes on foot or in less than 5 minutes by car. If you plan to arrive by plane, Verona Airport This is the one you should refer to. It is 12 km from the centre and is well served by shuttles and busTo avoid making your stay too expensive, we recommend purchasing the Verona Card, to be able to enter the various museums and monuments for free and travel for free on urban transport. Another piece of advice we want to give you is to walk aimlessly through the characteristic alleys of Verona; it is the best way to experience this fabulous city.

14 Verona, nightlife

Verona it is a dynamic city both day and night. Thanks above all to the many events and shows held in the centre, it is also very lively at night. There are many restaurants, pubs and clubs where you can entertain yourself until late at night.

15 Where to sleep in Verona

Verona, where to sleep: it is not a cheap city, but you will certainly be able to find it by booking well in advance hotels in Verona at affordable prices. Our advice is to stay in the center so you can enjoy the proximity to the main attractions.