VERONA – 10 places to fall in love with

Italy is a country full of history and art, but at times the traditional lifestyle can become too old and restricted for the younger generation.

And that is what happened to me. I needed to go abroad, to have an experience that could open my eyes and let me see better the reality I was living in.

I spent an entire summer working in Spain, and when I came back, I realized how fascinating the city I grew up in was.

So, let me show you some of the reasons why Verona, a city in Northern Italy, is worth a trip to!

Verona – the City of Love and World Heritage

Verona is often nicknamed as ‘the City of Love’, and it is absolutely not randomly given. The decorated buildings, the bricked facades, and all the monuments are connected, in a way or the other, under the sign of love.

These are the 10 places to fall in love with in Verona:

1- Castel San Pietro:

It’s a building with Langobardic origins. You can get there by car or walking up a stair starting from Ponte Pietra (you’ll read about it in point 2). It is an incredible panoramic spot, from which you can see the Roman Theater down below (it the photo, it’s behind the red fence).

2- Ponte Pietra and Lungadige:

Destroyed during the bombardments in the WWII, the bridge was rebuilt with part of the original stones fallen into the river.
Right below Castel San Pietro, there usually is a crowd of tourists and it is the perfect romantic set for wedding shooting. So, if you’re getting married in Italy, consider having some photos taken there!
And if you’re traveling with your sweet half, a walk along the river Adige at the sunset or by night is one of the most romantic things you can do.

3- Piazza Erbe and Torre dei Lamberti:

Piazza Erbe (Grassmarket Square) was originally the Roman Forum, and is now one of the most important poiints of the city, from where you can reach several monuments. One of them is the Torre dei Lamberti (Lamberti Tower), with medieval origins. You can climb it up and have another breathtaking view on the city.

4- Juliet’s House:

They say it was the house of Juliet Capulet (Giulietta Capuleti), whose story has been told worldwidly  through Shakespeare’s play.
If you visit it, don’t forget to leave a letter to the lovely club and touch her boob (ups – but it will bring you luck in love!)
Did you know there’s Romeo’s house, too? You can’t visit it, but he deserves a couple of your minutes…

5- Pozzo dell’Amore – Well of Love:

Quite unknown among Verona’s citizens, there’s the story of Corrado and Isabella behing this well, as tragic as Romeo and Juliet’s, but perhaps less romantic…
If you want to explore the real city, don’t miss it!

6- Porta Borsari:

Built in the year 265 aC, it is still nowadays an entry and gathering point of the city centre. Across the centuries, its name has changed adapting to its differfent functions, before finally becoming “Porta Borsari”, where duties had to be paid to get into the city.

7- Castelvecchio:

Castelvecchio is now a single word that means “old castle”. We inhabitants refer to it as both the bridge and the castle, that now hosts a museum and art gallery.

8- Piazza Bra – Arena and Listoni:

The main square of the city is the one that gathers most of the people and different events according to the period of the year.
In summer, you’ll be able to listen to the night Operas playing in the Arena from the outside,
while in wintertime, there usually are stands for St. Lucy, the Veronese (femenine) version of Santa Claus.
There would be several things to mention about Piazza Bra, but I’ll just give you this brief introduction…

9- Corso Sant’Anastasia and Sant’Anastasia church:

Veronese gothic church, it contains one of hte most beautiful works of art by Pisanello – Saint Jorge and the Dragon.
It is my absolutely favourite church in the city, not only for the art, but also for the warm colours it has – bordeaux and cream.

10- Piazza dei Signori / Piazza Dante:

This is probably the most peculiar square in the whole city. Every building represents a different period of the history of Verona and of those who ruled it.
The slashed lion, for example, was Napoleon’s order with the purpose of demonstrating his power and his win over the Serenissima. By ruining its simbol – the lion – he left a sign in this square.

Where to sleep?
Don’t miss:

The Hostello
Hotel Milano

I will keep updating this post – there are so many spots to love Verona!

If you have visited it, which is your favourite place?

 

Read it in Italian here!