Our Italian Adventure

Verona was the last destination to be added to our trip. This wasn’t because we didn’t find the city alluring or interesting, but rather we had thought of discovering small historical towns in the Umbria region. Once we had decided on not renting a car, those Umbria destinations became too difficult, and Verona was the clear winner to be added. Heck, we lived in Verona Wisconsin for about fifteen years, and our kids graduated from school there. Plus, the English had found Verona appealing back in Shakespeare’s time. Three of his plays were set in Verona. ‘Taming of the Shrew’, ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’, and ‘Romeo & Juliet’ all took place in Verona. Not only that, but Verona is about the population size of Madison Wisconsin. Finally, the 2026 Winter Olympic closing ceremonies will be held in Verona.

Upon arriving in Verona, we were pleasantly surprised by the laid-back vibes from the local population. The fast pace of Rome, Florence, and Venice were replaced with a relaxed disposition of the populace. . This city is on the beautiful and fast-moving Adige river.  By the 13^th century, Verona had become a powerful city-state. The Scala or Scaligero family was mainly responsible for the rise of prestige and power of Verona. Eventually Verona became known as a land of heightened emotions, vibrant culture, and romantic ideals. By the time Shakespeare began his literary profession, Verona was well-known in literature & storytelling for romantic tales and tragedies. After checking into Residenza Elisabetta, we rushed out and found the famous ‘Juliet House’. This house was built as a medieval palace for the Cappello family in the 13th century. The city purchased the property in 1907. It has been a major draw for tourists since.

Look, I beleve that is Juliette on the balcony.

There might be other tourists there as well.

After a delicious lunch at Nizza’s, we explored the city. We stopped to admire the gigantic London Maple Plane tree in Piazza Indipendenza. Only locals were enjoying the tranquility of this magnificent beast with the massive trunk. It’s been a witness of time in Verona for over 200 years. We also wandered past the Scaliger tombs, and checked out the historic Piazza dei Signori.  This lovely square is where the medieval town hall is located. We noticed Verona is much cleaner than some of the other Italian cities we’ve been to.  Unlike Rome, graffiti is hard to find here.  We walked thru the Arch of the Rib and into Piazza delle Erbe to enjoy some gelato. The Piazza is surrounded by majestic palaces including the baroque 17th century Maffei palace and the 13th century Podesta palace. The Podesta was home to many of the Scaligero family members. In front of the Maffei palace are six statues of Greek Gods.

Piazza Erbe

We finished off our day by climbing the tallest tower in Verona. The Torre dei Lamberti is a 12th century tower, and is also known as the ‘Tower of Love’. If you want the best views of the Verona area, climb the spiral staircase!

The spiral staircase

The View from Torre Lamberti

The weather continued to be near-perfect as we set out to explore more of Verona on Thursday, May 29th. We arrived in the vast Piazza Bra which is highlighted with the Roman amphitheater. This was the 3rd largest Roman colosseum ever built and is still in use today. The arena can still hold 25,000 persons. Since 1913, opera plays have occurred in the arena during the summer months. The arena is also where the 2026 Winter Olympic closing ceremonies will be held. The arena was built in 30AD and originally held gladiatorial contests and joust tournaments. After falling into disrepair in the middle ages, excavations and renovations occurred in the early 20th century.

The Verona Roman Arena

The Arena without the Opera seats and stage

Amy with Opera seating

The Arena with Opera stage and seating

Piazza Bra has a landscaped small park in the center, with wide open spaces surrounding the park. It is bordered not only by the Arena, but also has multiple shops, cafes, and majestic buildings around the square. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful square of our visits in Italy.

Piazza Bra in Verona

Next up was the former fortress residence for the Scaligeri family, the Castelvecchio. It now serves as a museum and has diverse exhibits and great views of the area. Verona was bombed by the Allies repeatedly during WW2 because it was strategically located on the Brenner Pass. Verona also saw intense combat fighting near the Victory bridge between Italian partisans and German troops. After the war, Verona required extensive reconstruction which included Castelvecchio. The adjacent Ponte Scaligero allows for great views of the Adige river.

Ponte Scaligero and Castelvecchio on River Adige

Next to the Castelvecchio might be Verona’s oldest structure, the Arco dei Gavi. This city gate was on the original Roman road leading into Verona dating from the 1st century.

Arco dei Gavi

We strolled along the main shopping pedestrian street, Via Giuseppe Mazzini. I guessed we missed our wine tasting tour in Tuscany. While browsing without a care in the world, we saw a wine shop which offered wine tasting. Why not, says us. It wasn’t the same as touring Tuscany, but the wines were tasty, and we learned about the local wines from the Veneto region.

Verona Wine Tasting

We finished off our day with a savory dinner at Osteria da Ugo. Tomorrow, we travel to Milan for a day trip.