Romantic Verona

Verona is more than Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet . . . so much more.

A UNESCO World Heritage City since 2000, it is a real treasure, with an old town that shows the past, layered over the centuries and perfectly preserved.

“The historic city of Verona was founded in the 1st century B.C. It particularly flourished under the rule of the Scaliger family in the 13th and 14th centuries and as part of the Republic of Venice from the 15th to 18th centuries. It also represents an outstanding example of a military stronghold. Verona has preserved a remarkable number of monuments from antiquity, the medieval and Renaissance periods. It is a city of art and culture.” World Heritage List - City of Verona

Juliet’s Club

The movie in 2010, ‘Letters to Juliet’ with Vanessa Redgrave and Amanda Seyfried, may have been fictional, but Juliet’s Club is a real thing. The club has been dealing with Juliet’s post for many years. This unique and evocative phenomenon has made Verona the capital of love. Addressed to “Juliet, Verona”, thousands of letters come from all over the world and a team of volunteers read, answer and keep all the messages in the name of the most famous heroine of literature, keeping alive an extraordinary tradition. Juliet’s Club was founded in Verona in 1972 from an idea by Giulio Tamassia and a group of artists and intellectuals united by the passion for Shakespearean legend.

Veronetta, the place to be

The neighbourhood on the left bank of the river Adige has a long history. It was here that the first settlement of Verona was founded on the San Pietro hill. The name Veronetta originated at the start of the 1800s, when Napoleon’s army reached Italy. The city of Verona was then divided into two parts: the land on the right bank of the river was in the hands of the French whilst the left bank remained under the control of the Austrians. This earned it the disparaging name of Veronetta from the French troops.

Walk across the Ponte Pietra, Ponte Nuovo or Ponte Navi bridges to the east of the city to enter Veronetta, full of charm and the arts. The area is home to the magnificent remains of the Teatro Romano, built in the 1st century B.C. at the foot of the San Pietro hill and still in use today. During the summer, it is a venue for concerts and theatrical performances. Sitting on the steps of the ancient theatre, surrounded by the natural and architectural sights, facing the river, is a truly magical experience.

Above the Teatro Romano stands the Austrian fort known as Castel San Pietro. This panoramic terrace, on top of the fortress, offers the best vantage point for views across Verona.

Thanks to the Santa Marta University Campus, this part of Verona has a bustling, energetic vibe that is full of bars, artisan shops and art galleries. It is diverse and multicultural and less touristy as it is here that you will find a younger crowd of students enjoying free time.

Culture abounds

In Veronetta there is the Archaeological Museum with many precious finds from Roman times on permanent display. Continuing on towards Porta Vescova is the Centro di Documentazione Verona Citta Fortificata, the first specialist archives for promoting understanding of the heritage provided by Verona’s military architecture, which was the reason for the city being granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

On Lungadige Porta Vittoria, along the river front, there is the Museum of Natural History, housed in one of the most stunning buildings in the city, which features an incredible wealth of treasures from the natural world, including sections dedicated to geology, dinosaurs, the animal kingdom and plants.

Another treasure is the Capitular Library. It is the most ancient working library in the world! Dante Alighieri and Francesco Petrarca and many other important historical people studied here. The building survived the earthquake, the plague, Napoleon’s robberies, flood of 1882 and bombs. It has a huge collection of manuscripts, paintings, books printed before 1500, tools for printing and much more.

There’s always a castle! The symbol of the Scaliger city is the Castelvecchio, a medieval castle which immediately catches the eye from all angles. The “Old Castle”, as its name translates, dates from the 14th century and is now one of the city’s most important museums. It contains sculptures, works by Italian and foreign painters, ancient weaponry, ceramics, jewellery and the old city bells.

The Roman Amphitheatre

In the magnificent Piazza Bra stands the Roman Amphitheatre that was built in the 1st century A.D. in the period which marked the end of the empire of Augustus and the beginning of the empire of Claudius. It actually predates the Colosseum by nearly fifty years and is the third largest amphitheatre in Italy. The arena is remarkably well preserved. Its elliptical shape produces perfect acoustics from any standpoint and can accommodate up to 15,000 people seated for the famous summer opera festival.

Music and Verona - a love story that began long ago

Back in medieval times and later during the Renaissance, the city was the place for musicians and performers. Verona became one of Italy’s biggest cultural centres. It was an historic period that saw the creation of the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona, the oldest musical academy in Europe, founded in 1543.

During the 1700s, the city hosted the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Not quite 14 years old, the musical prodigy arrived in Verona in 1769 during his first visit to Italy and performed in a church.

The three tenors, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras, were regulars in Verona, as was the great conductor, Franco Zeffirelli. The famous soprano of all time, Maria Callas, married a man from Verona at the start of her career.

The main event in Verona and the Arena is in June and marks the start of the Arena Opera Festival. It is one of the world’s leading opera festivals that began in 1913 with a production of Aida to mark the centenary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi.

Fashion and antiques and food

Via Mazzini, the elegant street which connects Piazza Bra with Piazza Erbe, is Verona’s leading shopping street, however, there are many little side streets full of some absolute gems including Corso Sant’Anastasia, a paradise for anyone who loves shopping. As well as being full of stylish boutiques and historic stores, this street is particularly well known for its antique shops.

In a city that is also known as “little Rome”, Verona knows how to get your mouth watering! Veronese cuisine has been famous since Roman times, when the city’s noble families were known for their lavish banquets. This reputation continued through the Middle Ages, when the city was controlled by the Scala family, and susequent centuries, during which time the produce from the region has been celebrated by visitors from all over the world.

Today, it is foodie heaven with a rich variety of food and some seriously excellent wines. Verona hosts a wine festival that takes place in mid October which is the perfect opportunity to try out the best that the region has to offer.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb