Verona…beyond Romeo and Juliet

Famed for being the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, couples flock to Verona’s Casa di Giulietta in the hope of finding everlasting love. There they can rub the right breast of the Juliet stature to be lucky in love, have a photograph taken on the stone balcony and visit the museum with its costumes from the Renaissance era.

Juliet’s House dates back to the 13th century although the balcony added in the 20th century. There are love notes attached to the walls with chewing gum with Via Cappello covered in graffiti and a haven for selfies. While this small courtyard, with its own gift shop, is hugely overcrowded it’s worth a look. And if you’re on the love trail, Verona is also home to the house of Romeo (now a private residence) which looks like a castle, with its swallowtail battlements, and Juliet’s tomb which is at the monastery of San Francesco al Corso. Having not visited Verona before, our focus was very much on what this city had to offer beyond Romeo and Juliet.

Arena di Verona

Verona is situated in the Veneto region of Italy nestled between the river Adige and Lake Garda. As well as the Shakespeare connection, it’s well known for its Roman amphitheatre (Arena di Verona) which was built in the first century. Situated in Piazza Brà, it’s thought to be one of the oldest of its kind. During the Arena di Verona Festival (June to September), there are five operas, a concent, a gala night and a ballet – each event attracting c.30,000 spectators to the arena. Having seen some initial rehearsals while we were there, the actual performances must be spectacular and the acoustics something else.

Piazza Brà

Although we relish heading off the beaten track generally, sometimes it’s good to stop and soak up the atmosphere. Rather like Piazza San Marco in Venice albeit on a smaller scale, Piazza Brà is a great place to do exactly that. With the backdrop pastel-coloured buildings and the arena, we had lunch (€20 each for two courses) while we got our bearings. We had an idea where we wanted to go already but having booked at fairly short notice we wanted to make sure we didn’t miss anything. That said we do like a good wander too.

Piazza Delle Erbe 

The beautiful Piazza Delle Erbe (Market Square) is off the Via Mazzini and just a few minutes walk from Piazza Brà. Part of the historic centre, it’s known for the town hall, the frescoed Mazzanti Houses and the fountain which is the most ancient monument in the square, dating back to 1368. It features a statue of Madonna Verona, which dates back to Roman times.

Torre dei Lamberti

Of course, there’s Torre dei Lamberti which is the tallest of Verona’s towers. Overlooking the historic city, the 84-metre high tower has 360-degree views for those brave enough to reach the terrace and belfry. For some reason, we decided to climb the 368 steps to the top rather than take the lift, it’s hard work but the views more than made up for it.

Castelvecchio

Another superb monument in Verona is Castelvecchio, the old castle which ruled the city in the middle ages, now home to the Castelvecchio Museum. It has seven towers, a keep and is surrounded by a moat which while dry, does still retain its drawbridge. The Ponte di Castelvecchio is a segmental arch bridge which was built over the Adige River in the 1350’s. Connected to the old castle, the upper is made with red bricks and the lower made from marble. It’s certainly somewhere to visit albeit first thing as I’d imagine it’s a popular place to hang out during the day. The views are superb and on a clear day, you can see all the way down the river.

Castel San Pietro

The green hill, surrounded by cypresses, is where Verona was founded. Dating back to the 7th century, there are views of the entire city from here with a fortress near the Roman theatres. Castel San Pietro is somewhere we wanted to visit before we left Verona but found ourselves out of time having already walked so many miles. We did, however, sit by the River Adige and enjoy those views upwards knowing if we walked up the steps we’d certainly miss our flight. We have a great reason to come back now though don’t we?