Tuesday October 6 was another beautiful day. It was a travel day as we were heading to Verona where we will be until October 11. We walked to one of the vaporetto stops near us and took the boat to the Venice train station. We caught the 12:10 p.m. regional train to Verona. It was a very nice train and it made about five quick stops before we got to Verona Porta Nuova station at 1:40 p.m. There were groups of students that got on and off the train at each stop.
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| Getting off the vaporetto at the Venice train station |
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Outside Santa Lucia Train Staton in Venice
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| Great signage and decoration inside the station |
When we arrived in Verona, we took a bus that dropped us around the corner from our apartment. We are in a quite affluent part of the city called Borgo Trento. We are about a 20 minute walk from the historic centre. The apartment is in a lovely quiet area with a nearby bakery, fruit/vegetable store, pasticceria. butcher and a great fish store. There is also a supermarket nearby.
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| Entrance to the apartment complex |
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| We are on the second floor of the building on the right. |
There was a lock box outside our unit. The apartment is very large and well-equipped. We are paying much less for five nights in Verona than we paid for four nights in the tiny Venice studio. Our host, Ariana left us a bottle of wine, some guidebooks and a map that was marked with various amenities in the neighbourhood.
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Large shower and bathroom-- there is a separate small area in the apartment
where there is a washing machine |
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We went out to get some provisions. We found the butcher and bought a prepared rotisserie chicken for dinner; a lovely filleted dorade at the fish store (for a future meal); some salad fixings at the fruit/ vegetable store and some basic provisions at the supermarket. The bakery was closed for the day.
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| Gorgeous fish- we bought an orata (dorade) which they filleted |
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| Fabulous fish store called Adriatica |
After having all our meals out in Venice, we decided to have four of our five dinners in the apartment in Verona and to have light lunches out. Given all the wonderful small food stores in a short walk from our apartment, this seemed like a good strategy.
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| Alonso cooked some green beans and potatoes to have with our delicious chicken. The Chianti our host left us was quite nice. We also had a salad and a piece of chocolate for dessert. |
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Wednesday October 7, started with some heavy rain. The high was around 23C. We had arranged to take a Free Walking Tour which started at 10:30 a.m. The meeting spot was the Arco deli Gavi (Roman Arch) in Piazzetta Castelvecchio. We were about a 25 minute walk from the meeting spot. Luckily, we had umbrellas.
Verona is a truly beautiful city built along the meandering Adige River. We can cross three different bridges depending on what part of the historic centre we want to get to. The historic City of Verona is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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| Crossing the Garibaldi bridge in the rain |
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| Flower pots on the entire bridge |
We walked along the river and passed another bridge guarded by the horsemen.
Our meeting place was the Arco dei Gavi. A number of folks taking the tour had gathered under the arch and we all introduced ourselves-- Germans, Dutch, Brits and Canadians. A woman from Amsterdam said- "no Americans" and everyone said "thank goodness." It turned out that due to the rain, our tour guide was standing in a drier area and the group ended up being about 22 people from all over, including a few Americans from California.
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| Arco dei Gavi still in the rain |
Miraculously, just as the tour started, the rain cleared, the sky turned blue and we had a bright sunny, warm day ahead of us.
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| A few minutes later- blue skies and sun |
Our tour guide, Graziano gave us an introduction to the history of Verona. The first settlements in the area go back to pre-history before the arrivals of the Etruscans and the Gauls. In the 1st century BC it became a Roman colony. In 49 BC, Julius Caesar conferred the status of Roman
Civitas on the city. Verona was a major political and commercial hub in Roman times starting from the first century BC. There are a lot of traces of the Roman past in Verona.
The Arco dei Gavi is a rare 1st century AD Roman honorary arch built to celebrate a private noble family. It had been built along an ancient road and used as a gateway in the medieval period. It was dismantled in 1805 by French troops during the Napoleonic occupation because it blocked military traffic. It was rebuilt in 1932, using the original stone blocks near its current site.
Following the fall of Rome, the city was ruled by the Goths, the Lombards and Charlemagne. It became an independent commune in the early 12th century. The della Scala (Scaliger) family brought great wealth to the city starting in 1260. Our guide told us about Cangrande I (he changed his name to Cangrande (Big Dog), saying he would protect the city like a 'dog'. He was a well-liked ruler and Verona flourished artistically during that time. The City even sheltered the exiled poet Dante. After his death, Cangrande II took over and was not well-liked. He was eventually murdered. The Scaliger family retained its rule until 1387.
In 1405, Verona became part of the Republic of Venice until 1796, when the territory was invaded by Napoleonic troops. In 1815, the Austro-Hungarian empire took control until 1866, when Verona became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy. Our guide said there are many examples of buildings and monuments from each of the historic eras, though most are from the Roman and Scaliger (della Scala) eras.
He also told us that Verona was one of the most heavily bombed cities during WWII because of its strategic position and the presence of many German military commands. About 45% of the city was destroyed by Allied bombs. In April 1945, on the day of their retreat from Verona, the fleeing Germans destroyed all its bridges. Verona was one of the cities awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valour for the sacrifices of its people and for its activity in the partisan struggle during WWII. The task of rebuilding the city began immediately after the end of the war, and the bridges were restored largely from the original materials.
We next stopped at the Castelvecchio, the imposing symbol of Scaliger-era Verona, built by Cangrande II della Scala in the second half of 1300, and recently restored by the architect Carlo Scarpa.
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| Walls of the Castelvecchio |
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| Old Clocktower |
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| Beautiful restoration |
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| Our guide, who was very knowledgeable about Verona's history |
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| The Ponte Castelvecchio near the Castelvecchio, which now houses a small museum |
We walked back to the Ponte della Vittoria (Victory Bridge) to admire the bronze horseman on the four corners of the bridge. The bridge itself was completed in 1929 to celebrate the Italian victory in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto during WWI. Designed by architect Ettore Fagiuoli, each statue depicts two men taming a wild horse. These statues are allegories of Victory. They symbolise the human sprit and determination overcoming the raw, violent forces of war. They were installed in 1931. The bridge was blown up by the Germans on April 24, 1945, but subsequently rebuilt and reopened in 1953 with its signature bronze horsemen fully restored.
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| Restored horsemen on the Ponte della Vittoria (Victory Bridge) |
We then went to the enormous Piazza Bra with the open Roman Arena di Verona which houses the famous Verona Opera. The Arena was build around 30 AD and predates the Colosseum in Rome. It holds up to 30,000 spectators and still hosts world-renowned open-air opera festivals and mega-concerts. Our tour guide told us that the acoustics are incredible in the arena. The Opera Festival started in 1913 with a performance of Aida. The first pop concerts were held in the 1970s and 1980s, among them iconic performances by Carlos Santana (1976) and Pink Floyd (1989).
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| Arena di Verona |
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| One entrance- and one piece of the Roman outside wall |
(on the left side of the photo)
We noticed a sign in the Piazza Bra regarding an exhibit by Marmomac, called Stone within Verona's Walls running from September 21 to October 11. There are a series of installations in a number of squares and landmarks in Verona's historic centre. The 2026 edition is the result of a collaboration between Marmomac and White Carrara. Marmomac is the leading global trade fair for the natural stone, marble, design and processing technology supply chain. It takes place annually in Verona.
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| Two installations in Piazza Bra by Elena Salmistraro and Ross Lovegrove. |
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| Quote from Coro from the Opera Nabucco, Giuseppe Verdi- Fly, thoughts on wings of gold/go settle upon the slopes and the hills/where soft and mild, the sweet airs/of our native land smell fragrant! |
We went next to Piazza delle Erbe. The area covered by this square corresponds in part to that of Verona's Roman Forum. It has a number of umbrellas over what are now mostly tourist traps. It used to have more fruit and vegetable vendors. There is an incredible diversity of buildings surrounding the square and a number of monuments.
Showing the umbrellas and tourist market
The magnificent 1668 Palazzo Maffei (Centre of the photo below) is topped with a loggia of six statues of pagan gods. It is the most important Baroque building in Verona. It hosts an exceptional art collection with more than 650 works from ancient to contemporary art. We have planned to visit on Saturday October 10. To the left of Palazzo Maffei is the square Torre (tower) del Gardello built in 1370 by Cansignorio della Scala and completed by a 'bell-shaped' roof in 1626.
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| Tower on the left and Palazzo Maffei in the middle |
Our Tour Guide took us quickly past the exit to Casa di Giulietta (Juliet's house) to see Juliet's balcony, where we got a photo of a tourist taking her turn at the balcony. One now needs to pay to enter the area with the house. Graziano explained that while Shakespeare never visited Verona, there really were the Capulets and Montague (Cappello and Montechhi in Italian) feuding families of Verona. Shakespeare adapted the rival family names from earlier Italian and English tales about the families. The house at 23 Via Cappello is a genuine 14th century medieval tower house once owned by the Cappello family. However the balcony is fake- it was not part of the original medieval building. It was added during a 1930s restoration project to capitalize on the legend.
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| Juliet's balcony-- photo taken from exit area-- the crowds queuing up were to the left of this photo |
The last Piazza we visited on the tour was the Piazza dei Signori, also called "Piazza Dante" because of the statue dedicated to Dante. The square is the historic and political centre of Verona.
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The Domus Nova- This 12th-17th century structure has historically served as a residence
and home for the city's judges |
We thoroughly enjoyed the Free Tour, as it gave us a good feel for the history of Verona and its major landmarks. The next stop was coffee! A number of people had recommended Caffè Borsari, a family-run coffee shop, operating since May 1969. The original owner ran the business until 2003, when his son took over. It features wood-panelled ceilings and lots of vintage cups and coffee equipment. It was in the Historical Shops book we later picked. The coffee was also very good.
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| Outside of Caffè Borsari |
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| Alonso at Caffè Borsari |
We then stopped at De Rossi Pasticceria to pick up some Venetian cookies. A lovely spot which also sells wine, teas and various condiments.
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Outside of De Rossi
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Lots of choice
Then it was time for a late lunch. Granziano, our tour guide, told us that some of the best fresh pasta could be found at La Bottega della Gina XXL. |
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| Sign at La Bottega della Gina XXL |
'Gina' is a casual spot popular with locals and tourists. We were a bit sceptical at first, but all the pasta is homemade. One picks the pasta one wants and they cook it while you sit either inside or outside the restaurant. We chose tortellini filled with meat (most of the other pastas had cheese fillings).
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| One orders the pasta here and they cook it in the kitchen area. |
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| It was served with olive oil and sage. Very tasty- the secret is the fresh home-made pasta. |
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| Making pasta at Gina--(lots of reflection from the window). |
On the same street as Gina, was the beautiful Basilica of Saint Anastasia, an example of Italian Gothic style. It is the largest church in Verona. Building commenced in 1290 and finished in 1481. The work was possible thanks to the support of the Della Scala family.
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| The Basilica-- facade was never finished |
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| Ark of Guglielmo da Castelbarco, an important patron of the building, and friend of Cangrande in the middle of this picture. A small, Romanesque church is next to the Basilica. |
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| Beautiful frescos over the door of the Romanesque church (Chiesa di San Pietro Martire or San Georgetto) |
We stopped at the Porta Borsari--- there was another sculpture that is part of the Marmomac Stone Within Verona's Wall event.
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| Gustavo Vélez, Cara y Envés |
We wandered over to the Tourist Office and had a wonderful chat with a man working there. He told us about the wonderful Dorothea Lange photography exhibit taking place in an underground area with archeological ruins (we will visit on October 8). He also gave us a gelato recommendation and some better maps of Verona. We also picked up a book called Verona and its Botteghe Storiche (Historical Shops) put together by the City of Verona with lovely pictures and write-ups about each location
We continued our meandering. In the park at Piazza Bra, we noted a memorial plaque.
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| To the Martyrs of the Nazi Extermination camps |
We walked by an apartment building with a plaque outside. It indicated that Maria Callas lived in this building from 1950 to 1955. The plaque was put up in 2007.
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| Maria Callas lived here |
We then stopped at a Jurri, a chocolate and gelato store recommended by the Tourist Office.
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| Lots of ice-cream treats |
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| Alonso with his coffee gelato. I had a lemon ginger chocolate cup (non-dairy). |
We passed the Verona Civic Library. The bronze statue outside depicts the famous Veronese adventure novelist Emilio Salgari. It was inaugurated on October 16, 2015 to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth. He is shown holding a copy of the local newspaper and his book Sandokan.
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| Outside the library- statue of Salgari |
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| Another selfie on the Girabaldi bridge |
We walked back to our quiet apartment and had a late dinner.
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Alonso cooked the dorade with potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini.
A glass of wine, a salad and some Venetian cookies for dessert. |
It was a very full day. The Free Tour and our wanderings gave us a good feel for the history of the city and its architectural highlights. Luckily, so much has been preserved and/or restored. Historic Verona is well-deserving of its UNESCO Heritage Site designation.
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