Verona Travel Guide compact

C IAO V ERONA

T HE C ITY

H ISTORICAL B UILDINGS

C ITY OF L OVE

W ORTH S EEING

A RT & C ULTURE

C HURCHES

B RIDGES

P UBLIC T RANSPORT

I MPRINT

Ciao Verona

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Verona is effortlessly reachable at any hour thanks to ÖBB’s state-of-the-art trains. For travellers who like to rest en route, the ÖBB nightjet provides a wonderfully serene overnight journey from Munich or Vienna straight to the City of Love.

By day, the sleek ÖBB railjets operate along the Brenner route, continuing onwards through Verona to Ancona or Venice. Choosing to travel by train means embracing a safe, comfortable, and ecofriendly way to explore.

Ciao Verona

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The City

Verona

Verona is located on the important Brenner line. Since 2000, the old town has been part of the World Heritage Site. The history of Verona can be traced back to 550 BC. Many buildings still date from the early days of the city. For example, the “Ponte Pietra” was built around 100 BC. The Arena of Verona, which holds a particularly high status among those interested in art, is almost 2,000 years old and was built around the year 30.

Over the centuries, there were various rulers over the city: Verona was a Roman colony, then residence of the Ostrogoth king, part of the Frankish Empire, and margraviate of the Duchy of Bavaria. From 976 to 1184, the city was part of

Carinthia. After a phase of independence, it ﬁrst came under Milanese and then Venetian rule. Under the leadership of the Austrian Empire, Verona belonged to the Upper Italian fortress quadrilateral (Quadrilatero). This consisted of Peschiera, Mantua, Legnago, and Verona.

Above all, the proximity to Lake Garda and Venice makes Verona a popular excursion destination.

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Historical Buildings

Cimitero Monumentale

Before the construction of the monumental cemetery in 1829, the dead of the city were buried in the churches. The Napoleonic laws banished the cemetery to its current location outside the city walls. The cemetery complex is very worth seeing, but if you visit Verona in summer, it can get very hot there.

Palazzo del Capitano

During the rule of the Venetians, this palace was the seat of the captain. The Palace of the Captain (Palazzo del Capitano) is also called “Palazzo di Cansignorio”. This monument was dedicated to the great Venetian general in the courtyard of the Palazzo del Capitano, in the Cortile del Tribunale.

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Palazzo Canossa

The Veronese Palazzo Canossa was designed by the Italian Renaissance architect Michele Sanmicheli in 1527. The representative palace was the city residence of the Canossa family.

The Palazzo Canossa is privately owned and cannot be visited.

Palazzo Barbieri

Initially, the palace built from 1836 to 1848 was called “Palazzo della Gran Guardia Nuova”. During Austrian rule, this was the administrative seat. In addition, the palace was used as quarters for the city guard. Since Veneto's annexation to the Kingdom of Italy, the mighty building has served as the city hall.

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City of Love

Casa di Giulietta

The balcony of Juliet's house (Casa di Giulietta) is one of the most important and most visited attractions in Verona. The balcony, originally part of a sarcophagus, was installed in 1930. The building was owned by the dal Capello family in the 14th century. Touching the breasts of the statue and leaving a love message on the wall is said to bring good luck. From the ﬁrst ﬂoor of the shop in the courtyard, you can best view both the balcony and Juliet's statue.

Tomba di Giulietta

Since Shakespeare's love story is set in Verona, it became necessary to create a ﬁnal resting place for the unfortunate Juliet in addition to the balcony. In 1937, the ancient Capuchin monastery from the 13th century was chosen as the burial site for the young Capulet. The fresco museum is also housed in the same building.

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Pozzo dell'amore

The Pozzo dell’Amore (Love Well) is located in a small courtyard. The place is a pilgrimage site for lovers, who attach padlocks to the well's cover grid as a sign of their love. In addition to the story of Romeo and Juliet, there is also the Leggenda del Pozzo dell’Amore.

Casa di Romeo

Romeo's house (Casa di Romeo) is actually called “Casa di Cagnolo Nogarola detto Romeo”. It is another attraction that is part of the must-see program when visiting Verona.

It is not the actual house of Romeo, but the Montecchi family lived in this area at that time.

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Worth Seeing

Arche scaligere

Die Scaliger (Herren von der Leiter), herrschten von 1260 bis 1387 über Verona. Die letzten Ruhestätten des Scaliger-Geschlechts beﬁnden sich neben der Kirche Santa Maria Antica. Die ältesten Gräber ﬁndet man direkt in der Kirche, am eindrucksvollsten sind aber die gotischen Schreine vor dem Gotteshaus.

Arco dei Gavi

The Arco dei Gavi dates from the 1st century and received its name from the Roman Gavia family. The white triumphal arch once stood in the middle of Corso Cavour and served as a city gate in the Middle Ages. The French dismantled the arch because it obstructed street trafﬁc. Since 1932, it has stood next to the Castelvecchio.

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Castel San Pietro

The castle, which got its name from the adjacent San Pietro church, was built in 1398 by Giangaleazzo Visconti.

Over the centuries, it was remodeled several times, partially blown up by the French, and ﬁ nally converted into a barracks.

Castelvecchio

Cangrande II della Scala built the Castelvecchio. In emergencies, the bridge over the Adige provided the castle's occupants with an escape route to the Scaligers' possessions.

Particularly striking is the shape the Scaligers gave to the battlements of their buildings. These are called swallowtail battlements.

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Porta dei Borsari

The Porta dei Borsari dates from 265 and was built under Emperor Gallienus. The three-story gate is located on the Roman street Via Postumia. Alongside the amphitheater, the structure is one of the best-preserved testimonies to Roman architecture.

Porta dei Leoni

e 13-meter-high gate matched the height of the Roman city wall. It received its name in the 15th century, inspired by a nearby stone Roman sarcophagus decorated with two lions. Today, the two lions can be found behind the monument to Umberto I.

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City Wall

The old town of Verona is still enclosed today by large parts of the city wall. While the Adige encircles the city center, the city wall stands in the southwest— starting at the Arena. Except for Juliet's tomb, almost all attractions are within the wall.

Porta Palio

The Porta Palio was part of the city's fortiﬁcation system. It was built between 1550 and 1561 and is considered a masterpiece by the architect Michele Sanmicheli. The gate's facade made a very pompous impression on visitors coming to Verona.

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Art & Culture

Arena di Verona

The current pilgrimage site for concert and opera fans was built in the year 30. Today, the Arena di Verona is the third-largest surviving ancient amphitheater. In Roman times, the arena held over 30,000 spectators; today, it still holds 22,000. Since 1913, opera performances and concerts have taken place here in June, July, and August.

Gran Guardia

The palace of the great guard (Palazzo della Gran Guardia) was built at the beginning of the 17th century by the architect Domenico Curtoni. The palace has had its current appearance since 1853. The Palazzo della Gran Guardia is used by the city of Verona for festivities and exhibitions.

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Museo Maffeiano

The Lapidario Maffeiano Museum is one of the oldest archaeological museums in Europe. As early as 1612, the ﬁrst exhibits were displayed in the vestibule of the Philharmonic Academy. The museum's focuses are stelae and urns located in the rooms. In the outdoor area, there are many inscriptions and reliefs.

Palazzo della Ragione

The Palace of Reason (Palazzo della Ragione) houses the “Galleria d'Arte Moderna Achille Forti”. The square where the palace stands was the center of power in Verona in past centuries. The Stairway of Reason (Scala della Ragione) served as access to the court for more than two hundred years. In the southeastern corner of the palace stands the Lamberti Tower (Torre dei Lamberti).

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Churches

San Zeno Maggiore

Santa Maria Matricolare

Immacolato di Maria

San Pietro

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Chiesa di Madonna di Campagna

Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli

Parrocchia di San Giorgio in Braida San Fermo Maggiore

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Bridges

The historic centre of Verona is embraced by the Adige River. Within this district, seven bridges cross the water, ﬁve of which are heritage landmarks, as depicted here.

Ponte delle Navi

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Ponte della Vittoria

Ponte Pietra

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Ponte Garibaldi

Ponte Scaligero

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Public Transport

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Imprint

The team

This e-book was made possible through the kind support of the regional tourist ofﬁces and the OBB. German proofreading and editorial: Martin Andergassen.

References

Text, videos and photos by Rudolf J. Strutz unless otherwise stated. Timetables and travel information: OBB

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Links

All links provided are current at the time of publication of this ebook. Links to tickets usually lead directly to the exhibition location. For tickets and timetables, local public transportation services are linked.