Things to Do and See in Verona

Verona, the capital of the province of the same name and a splendid city of art, is steeped in the legacy of a millennia-old history: Roman ruins, medieval vestiges, Venetian influences, and Austrian traces. In the historic center, Piazza Erbe is the ultimate expression of this blend: Roman, medieval, and Renaissance architecture harmoniously integrated with that of the Scaliger era and 19th-century palaces. Not far away is Piazza dei Signori, Verona’s “living room,” featuring the monument dedicated to Dante Alighieri; and also the Roman Theater, Ponte Pietra, the fortress of Castelvecchio—now home to the Museum of Modern Art—the Ponte Scaligero, a prime example of medieval architecture, and the Arche Scaligere, superb funerary monuments built for the remains of the Lords of Verona, along with the historic churches of San Fermo and Sant’Anastasia and the Duomo, are just some of the sites that led to the city’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. The historic Arena is the city’s symbol—the third-largest Roman amphitheater in Italy—which in the summer becomes the stage for major shows, concerts, and opera seasons. The “city of lovers” is also the setting for the turbulent love story told by the great Shakespeare: here, in fact, stands Juliet’s house, with its famous balcony. Also worth noting is the Giusti Garden, one of the most beautiful Italian Renaissance gardens. Numerous artistic treasures are scattered throughout the rest of the province, such as the sumptuous villas and imposing castles found along the Venetian shores of Lake Garda, including Villa Albertini, surrounded by a large park with tree-lined avenues, waterfalls, fountains, and grottoes. In the Veronese plain, you can admire the castles of Bevilacqua and Villafranca, dating from the Scaliger period; while in Valpolicella, the Palladian villas are now home to major wineries. For nature lovers, highlights include the Veja Bridge in Lessinia, a monumental natural formation of prehistoric origin created by the collapse of a cave; the world’s only fossil site of its kind in Bolca, from which thousands of well-preserved specimens have been extracted; and the Monte Capriolo Cave, an underground route rich in stalagmites, stalactites, and white calcite flowstones. On the shores of Lake Garda, you enter the landscape of Monte Baldo, accessible via a cable car equipped with a rotating cabin that offers a 360° view. There are numerous towns to visit here: from Bardolino to Bussolengo, and from Castelnuovo del Garda to Lazise.