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Where to Go in Verona


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Sightseeing Overview
Verona’s most impressive tourist attraction is the Arena, the third largest Roman amphitheater in Italy. Arguably, however, more tourists visit the city for Shakespearian reasons - to see Casa Giulietta (Juliet’s House) and its famous courtyard and balcony. Another fine venue from Roman times is the theater, the Teatrum Romanum, just north of the Old Town, where the city’s famous archaeological museum is also based.

For those more interested in Medieval times, there is the Castelvecchio (Old Castle), built
by the city’s rulers, the della Scala family, in the 14th century. It was restored in the 1960s by the famous Italian architect Carlo Scarpa who redesigned some of the castle’s interior features.

The city’s finest ecclesiastical building is the Basilicia of San Zeno Maggiore, which is regarded by many as one of the foremost examples of Romanesque architecture in Europe.

Verona also has one of Italy’s finest Renaissance gardens, the Giardino di Palazzo Giusti. Also worth visiting is the Natural History Museum, which has interesting collections of zoological, botanical and geological items.

Tourist Information
Tourist Information Office
Piazza Bra
Tel: (045) 806 8680.
Website: www.tourism.verona.it

There are three more tourist information offices in Verona, at the Porta Nuova railway station, at via degli Alpini 9 and at Piazza XXV Aprile. Staff can help with bookings, practical information and information about the city and the region.

Passes
The VeronaCard gives free access to museums, churches and other attractions in Verona as well as free travel with AMT buses. It also gives discounted entry to some places of interest. Visitors can buy either a one-day or a three-day card. The card is sold at museums, churches and tourist information offices.

Key Attractions:

Arena di Verona
The Arena in Verona is the largest Roman amphitheater in northern Italy. In the whole of Italy, only the Colosseum and the amphitheater at Capua are bigger. It was constructed early in the first century AD, and it has been the site of gladiatorial combat as well as public executions over the centuries. Nowadays it is Verona’s foremost venue for concerts and opera performances, being the focal point of the city’s famous opera festival every summer. It has a capacity of 25,000 people.

Piazza Bra
Tel: (045) 800 5151.
Website: www.arena.it
Admission charge.

Casa Giulietta and Casa Romeo
Casa Giulietta (Juliet’s House) at via Cappello 23 is one of Verona’s biggest tourist attractions, with its courtyard and famous balcony from Shakespeare’s play. But while the Capulet family did indeed live in Verona, it is doubtful that they ever lived in this building, and the balcony was actually put up in the 1920s to satisfy visitors. Still, the tourists keep coming, and at least there is a statue of Juliet in the courtyard. The house itself was restored in 1935. It is possible to buy tickets to visit it. Casa Romeo (Romeo’s house), arche Scaligere 4, where it is believed that the Montague family actually lived, is not open to the public.

Via Cappello 23 (Casa Giuilietta)
Tel: (045) 803 4303.
Admission charge.

Roman Theater and Archaeological Museum
Verona’s Roman Theater dates from the last quarter of the first century BC and has a magnificent location in a hillside north of the Old Town. After centuries of disuse it was recovered in the 19th century, and in modern times it has been used for theater and ballet productions. The Archaeological Museum is located in what was formerly a medieval Jesuit convent above the theater. The collection includes Greek vases, mosaics, sculpture, glass objects and other items from the ancient world.

Regaste Redentore 2
Tel: (045) 800 0360.
Admission charge.

Castelvecchio
The Castelvecchio (Old Castle) was built in 1354-56 and belonged to Verona’s medieval rulers, the della Scala family. The building was converted from a military fortress in 1925, and today the castle houses a museum with works by Pisanello, Veronese and Tintoretto as well as medieval frescoes and sculptures, weapons and jewelry. The famous Italian architect Carlo Scarpa left his unmistakable signature mark on the castle when he was in charge of restoring it between 1959 and 1973.

Corso Castelvecchio, 2
Tel: (045) 806 2611.
Website: www.comune.verona.it/Castelvecchio/cvsito/english/index1.htm
Admission charge.

Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore
One of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Italy, San Zeno Maggiore, built in the 1120s and 30s, is the most attractive of Verona’s churches. It has an imposing façade that completely dominates the large square in front of the building, and beside it stands an impressive bell tower which receives a mention in the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The interior of the basilica is splendid, with fresco-clad walls. The crypt contains the tomb of St Zeno, the city’s first bishop.

Piazza San Zeno, Vicolo Abbazia 1
Tel: (045) 592 813.
Website: www.chieseverona.it
Admission charge.

Further Distractions:

Giardino di Palazzo Giusti
One of the most beautiful Renaissance gardens in Italy, the Giardino Giusti behind the palace of the same name is a spacious garden featuring flower beds, fountains, statues, a cypress-lined avenue and one of Europe’s oldest labyrinths. It dates from the late 16th century, but has been redesigned and renovated many times since then. The garden has status as a National Monument in Italy.

Via Giardino Giusti 2
Tel: (045) 803 4029.

Il Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona
Based in the Palazzo Pompei, which was built by the architect Sanmicheli in 1530, Verona’s Natural History Museum was established in 1962. Its collections are organized in four sections (botany, geology, prehistory and zoology) and comprise millions of objects, many of which are of great historical and scientific interest.

Lungadige Porta Vittoria 9
Tel: (045) 807 9400.
Website: www.museostorianaturaleverona.it


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