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Verona Attractions
“Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona . . .” So go the immortal opening lines of Romeo and Juliet, ensuring that the city has been a target for love-sick romantics ever since. Though Verona is crammed with genuine historic goodies, one of the most popular sites is the ersatz Casa di Giulietta, Via Cappello 23 (6€; Mon 1:30–7:30pm, Tues–Sun 8:30am–7:30pm), a 14th-century house (with balcony, naturally), claiming to be the Capulets’ home. In the courtyard, the chest of a bronze statue of Juliet has been polished to a gleaming sheen thanks to a legend claiming that stroking her right breast brings good fortune. Juliet’s Wall, at the entrance, is quite a spectacle, covered with the scribbles of star-crossed lovers; love letters placed here are taken down and, along with 5,000 letters annually, are answered by the Club di Giulietta (a group of locally based volunteers). There’s not much to see inside the house, though plenty of visitors line up for a chance of a selfie on the balcony.
Once you’ve made the obligatory Juliet pilgrimage, focus on actual historic sights. The 1st-century Arena di Verona ★ (10€; Mon 1:30–7:30pm and Tues–Sun 8:30am–7:30pm), in the spacious Piazza Bra, is the third largest classical arena in Italy after Rome’s Colosseum and the arena at Capua—it could seat some 25,000 spectators and still hosts performances today.
To the northwest on Piazza San Zeno, the Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore ★★ (3€, includes audioguide; Mar–Oct Mon–Sat 8:30am–6pm, Sun 12:30–6pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–1pm and 1:30–5pm, Sun 12:30–5pm) is the greatest Romanesque church in northern Italy. The present structure was completed around 1135, over the 4th-century shrine to Verona’s patron saint, St. Zeno (who died in 380). Its massive rose window represents the Wheel of Fortune, while the impressive lintels above the portal represent the months of the year. The highlight of the interior is “Madonna and Saints” by Mantegna.
The VeronaCard, a biglietto cumulativo (cumulative ticket), will help you visit several of the city's sites for just one fee. Two versions of the card are available. The 20€ card, valid for 24 hours, allows you to ride the city's buses and enter its museums, monuments, and churches. The 25€ card offers the same places but allows you 48 hours. You'll find the VeronaCard for sale at the sites listed, or call tel. 045-807-7774.
Verona's churches have banded together as the Associazione Chiese Vive. Admission to any one church is 3€, or you can buy a cumulative ticket for 6€ for adults, granting admission to Sant'Anastasia, San Zeno, San Fermo, and the Duomo complex. Note: If you're only going to visit Verona's churches, this is the deal for you. Otherwise, if you want to see all or most of the city's attractions, stick with the VeronaCard.
9 Results
- Landmark
Arche Scaligeri/Torre dei Lamberti
Exit the Piazza dei Signori opposite the Arch of the Rib, and immediately on your right, at the corner of Via delle Arche Scaligeri, are some of the most elaborate Gothic funerary monuments in Italy -- the raised outdoor tombs of the canine-obsessed Scaligeri family (seen behind the… - Historic Site
Arena di Verona
The best-preserved Roman amphitheater in the world and the best known in Italy after Rome's Colosseum, the elliptical Arena was built in a slightly pinkish marble in the 1st century A.D. and stands in the very middle of town, with the Piazza Brà on its southern flank. Built to… - Religious Site
Basilica San Zeno Maggiore
This is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in northern Italy, built between the 9th and 12th centuries over the 4th-century shrine to Verona’s patron saint, St. Zeno (who died 380). Slightly northwest of the old city's hub but still easily reached by foot, San Zeno… - Religious Site
Basilica di Sant'Anastasia
Built between 1290 and 1481, this is Verona's largest church, considered the city's finest example of Gothic architecture, even though the facade remains unfinished. A lovely 14th-century campanile bell tower is adorned with frescoes and sculptures. The church's interior is typically… - Historic Site
Casa di Giulietta
There is no proof that a Capuleti (Capulet) family ever lived here (or, if they did, that a young girl named Juliet ever existed), and it wasn't until 1905 that the city bought what was an abandoned, overgrown garden and decided its future. Rumor is that this was once actually a… - Neighborhood
Piazza dei Signori
To reach the Piazza dei Signori from the Piazza delle Erbe, exit under the Arco della Costa). The perfect antidote to the color and bustle of the Piazza delle Erbe, the serene and elegant Piazza dei Signori is a slightly somber square, one of Verona's innermost chambers of calm. Its… - Landmark
Piazza delle Erbe
This bustling marketplace -- the palazzi-flanked Square of the Herbs -- sits on the site of the Roman Forum where chariot races once took place. The herbs, spices, coffee beans, and bolts of silks and damasks that came through Verona after landing in Venice from faraway Cathay have… - Historic Site
Teatro Romano and the Museo Archeologico
The oldest extant Roman monument in Verona dates from the time of Augustus, when the Arena was built and Verona was a strong Roman outpost at the crossroads of the Empire's ancient north-south, east-west highways. There is something almost surreal about attending an open-air… - Religious Site
The Duomo
Begun in the 12th century and not finished until the 17th century, the city's main church still boasts its original main doors and portal, magnificently covered with low reliefs in the Lombard Romanesque style that are attributed to Niccolo, whose work can be seen at the Basilica of…
