Verona

THE Arena (1st century B.C.) is the symbol of the city and the starting point of our itinerary. Located in the beautiful Piazza bra, it evokes antique atmospheres and fascinates tourists during the opera season. Along the western side of the square, the communal walls can be admired, as well as the impressive Palazzo della Gran Guardia. On the southern side there is the Neoclassic Palazzo Barbieri, while on the northern side there is the famous Liston, the spot par excellence for the Veronese evening stroll. At the end of the Liston there is via Mazzini, the most frequented and elegant street of the city, which ends into via Cappello, where, at number 23, there are the House of Juliet and the famous balcony. The nearby Piazza delle Erbe (Market’s square), the ancient Roman forum, is surrounded on the right by the Torre dei Lamberti and the frescoed Case Mazzanti, and on the left by the tall houses of the Ghetto and the crenellated Domus Mercatorum. On the background there are the Torre del Gardello and the baroque Palazzo Maffei. Close by is the Piazza dei Signori, dominated by the statue of Dante, where, starting from the right side, you can see the Palazzo del Comune or della Ragione and the cortile del Mercato Vecchio with the “Scala della Ragione” and the Palazzo del Capitano and the Palazzo del Governo. The latter palace is characterized by the Loggia del Consiglio, or Loggia of Frà Giocondo. Beyond the Palazzo del Capitano you can see the Arche Scaligere, the monumental tombs of the Lords of Verona on the churchyard of Santa Maria Antica. Nearby is via Sottoriva, one of the most characteristic streets of the city, from where you can admire the Church of Santa Anastasia, which hosts the famous fresco by Pisanello “San Giorgio e la Principessa”. We have now reached the river Adige where you can see the Roman Ponte Pietra beyond which there is the historical Teatro Romano (both dating from the 1st century B.C.). The nearby Cathedral, rebuilt in Romanesque style after the 1117 earthquake, hosts a precious painting by Titian, l’Assunta. Going back towards Piazza Erbe you soon reach the ancient Porta Borsari (1st century A.D.), which closes the homonymous road, Corso Porta Borsari. The nearby Corso Cavour leads you to the Arco dei Gavi and the impressive Castelvecchio, important residence of the Scaligeri family, built from 1354, and current seat of the city museum. The itinerary ends with the nearby Basilica of S. Zeno, splendid example of Romanesque style, founded between the VIII and the IX century in an area which had been a necropolis site in Roman period. Inside, besides the crypt, you can admire a masterpiece of the Renaissance painting, an altarpiece of Andrea Mantegna, representing the Virgin Mary with Child and Saints.