Rain in Verona-- a quiet day

Friday October 9 started out with rain- definitely put a damper on some of our plans. It cleared in the afternoon and we were able to meander without getting wet. High of 22C.

We decided to check out the Teatro Romano (Roman Theatre) and the Castel San Pietro. Both attractions were on the same side of the river as our apartment and we didn't have to cross a bridge. Both are close to the river about a 20 minute walk from the apartment.

We passed some interesting buildings en route.

Chiesa di San Giorgio in Braida, a Roman renaissance church. Founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1046, it was later rebuilt in the 16th century. The exterior walls still bear bullet marks from a battle between French and Austrian forces in 1805.

We walked by Santo Stefano. A church at this site, built on top of a Roman temple dedicated to Isis, was consecrated in 421 AD, and for four centuries was the burial site for the bishops of Verona. The church was partially damaged during the earthquake of 1117, and was subsequently rebuilt in the Romanesque style.

Santo Stefano

View towards Ponte Pietra (Stone bridge)

It was really pouring and we decided to take cover and have a bite to eat in a focacceria.

Outside of Focacceria Ponte Pietra

We shared a carciofi (artichoke), funghi (mushrooms), rosemarino (rosemary) focaccia.

The inside of the focacceria

Alonso with the focaccia

We walked along the river to the Museo Archaeologic and the Teatro Romano.

Outside of the museum

The Teatro appeared to be under renovation and it was still raining, so we just took some pictures from the outside but couldn't get into the Teatro.

An view of part of the Theatre

I was able to take a good picture of the Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge) which we would be crossing later to get to the historic centre of Verona. It is a historic Roman arch bridge that spans the Adige River. It was built around 100 BC and is the oldest bridge in Verona. Because it has been repaired across different eras, it has a mix of original Roman white lime/travertine stone, 14th-century Scaliger brick, and 16th century Venetian additions. Retreating German troops blew up four of its five arches in April 1945. The bridge was rebuilt between 1957 and 1959 using many of the original stones recovered from the riverbed. It is open exclusively for pedestrians and bicycles and connects the Roman theatre with the historic centre.

The Ponte Pietra

After we had our facaccia, there was a lull in the rain, so we started up the stairs to the Castel San Pietro.

The Castel San Pietro is a 19th century Austrian military fortress perched on St. Peter's Hill. The Austrian army built the current Neo-Romanesque fortress and barracks on the site between 1852-1856. It has been owned by the City of Verona since 1931, but is not open to the public because it has deteriorated due to neglect over time. However, the panoramic terrace is a major tourist destination. There is a funicular that also makes the trip, but we decided to take the stairs.

Unfortunately, when we got about half way up the stairway, it started to pour again. We stopped to take a few pictures from the half-way view point and then headed back down the stairs.

Alonso starting up the stairs to the Castle

Looking down as we walked

Half-way viewing point

Looking across the river to historic Verona

We then headed over the Stone Bridge to the historic centre. I took a picture of the castle on the hill- lots of trees in front.

Crossing the bridge- looking up at the Castel

Entering the historic centre from the Stone Bridge

There were a number of interesting food shops and restaurants on the first square. We stopped at Salumeria Gironda. It is a family-run shop that opened in 2005.

Entrance to Salumaria Gironda

It has a wonderful selection of Veronese cheeses, charcuterie and other condiments.

We bought some pecorino sardo and some local charcuterie for our dinner. There was an outdoor area where people could take their cheese and meats to have a picnic lunch.

High quality meats and cheeses

It was then time for coffee. We decided to check out Nizza Café, located on Via Nizza.

Old Fish Market (Pesheria sign on building), which is now a supermarket.

We sat outside and had an excellent espresso and macchiato.

Alonso inside the tiny café.

We sat outside-- view of the café

Know Your Coffee guide

Alonso conferring with the barista. They now get their beans from Ditta Artigianale in Florence.

We then checked out the historic Jewish Ghetto of Verona which was established in 1600. It enclosed an area between Piazza delle Erbe, Via Mazzini (now a fancy shopping street), Via dei Pellicciai and Via Quintino Sella. The ghetto gates were demolished by Napoleon's troops in 1796-97. There are only a few tall, narrow tower-houses still standing reflecting the limited space where families were forced to build.

One of the remaining tower-houses in the former ghetto area

We walked by the Verona synagogue which was built starting in 1864 and was finally completed and inaugurated on September 20, 1929. The Jewish community of Verona currently has only 100 members. In 1931, the Jewish population was 429. Persecution starting in 1938 following the implementation of Mussolini's Racial Laws. On September 8, 1943, the Nazis occupied northern Italy and established the puppet Italian Social Republic. Verona was a critical administrative hub for the Nazi regime. The historic archives of the Jewish community were sacked, looted and dispersed. Just outside the city, a detention site in the village of Montorio was used by the Nazis. Approximately 60 Jews were imprisoned there before being moved to a transit camp and ultimately deported to Auschwitz. A number of Verona Jews fled to the countryside, crossed into Switzerland or joined anti-fascist partisan resistance groups. By the time Verona was liberated in 1945, there were roughly 120 survivors remaining in the city.

On the left side of the neoclassical facade of the Synagogue is a plaque honouring Rita Rosani, a Jewish partisan schoolteacher who joined the local resistance and was killed by the Nazis in the Veronese mountains in 1944. She was posthumously awarded Italy's Gold Medal of Military Valor.

Synagogue of Verona-- plaque honouring Rita Rosani on the left side of the building. The plaque on the right hand side honours the unarmed victims deported from Verona due to Nazi barbarism.

Guards on both sides.

We decided to stop for some cicchetti at Caffè Monte Baldo, which had been recommended by a local and was also in the book of historical Verona shops. We have made a reservation for dinner on October 10, but as it was close to the Garibaldi bridge, it made a great stop for an aperitivo. Monte Baldo opened in 1909 as a dairy store and became an Osteria between 1925-1929. Apparently, it was the first public place in Verona to have a radio in the years before WWII. The small room in the back of the Osteria was a place for card and dice players.