7 Top Attractions in Verona, Italy… Beyond Romeo and Juliet
Although it’s most famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Verona
has much more to offer than its connections to the star-crossed lovers!
In fact, there’s little evidence that anything like the Romeo and
Juliet story actually took place here… but it is indisputable
that you won’t be short of sights in this beautiful city, even if you
ignore Juliet’s “balcony” and “tomb.” (The city’s rich culture and
history, in fact, even have landed it on the World Heritage list!).
So if you’re traveling in northern Italy or heading to Venice, you
simply can’t miss Verona. Located just a half hour away from Venice by
train, it makes an excellent day trip!
Still not convinced? Here are 7 of our favorite sights in Verona.
Piazza delle Erbe
By day, Piazza delle Erbe is home to a market (if one that sells
mostly souvenirs and trinkets); in the evening, it fills with locals and
tourists sipping Campari and enjoying aperitivi at the outdoor
cafes. But no matter when you’re passing through the square, look
around you! With its Renaissance-era palaces and lovely central
fountain, this might just be the prettiest piazza in all of Italy.
Arena of Verona
Built in the 1st century A.D., this amphitheater was Verona’s answer
to Rome’s Colosseum (although actually, it predates the Colosseum by
almost 50 years!). Still remarkably well preserved, today it’s home to
Verona’s summer opera festival.
Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore
This beautiful church dates back to the 4th century, although most of
the current building was constructed between the 10th and 12th
centuries. Other churches in Verona drew much of their inspiration from
its early Romanesque style. Don’t miss the bronze door, with 48
elaborately-carved panels of scenes from the Bible, dating back to the
11th century.
Castelvecchio
With seven towers, a castle keep, and four separate buildings,
Verona’s 14th-century fortress, Castelvecchio, is the city’s most
imposing building. Today, it’s also home to a museum of art, sculpture,
coins, and other artifacts, with a collection of paintings that includes
pieces by northern Italian masters Mantegna, Bellini and Pisanello.
Porta Borsari
Duomo of Verona
Verona’s main cathedral, or Duomo, is stunning. But don’t just see it
from the outside: The interior of this 12th-century church is
incredibly elaborate and filled with gems, including a painting by the
Italian master Titian.
Arche Scaligeri
Tombs don’t get much more elaborate than these! Just around the
corner from Piazza delle Erbe, these five Gothic funerary monuments,
considered some of the best examples of Gothic art, are hard to miss.
They belong to members of the Scaligeri, who ruled Verona in the 13th
and 14th centuries. Make sure you duck into the tiny, lovely church of
Santa Maria Antica behind them.
