The Veneto Revisited – Verona

We remember Verona (pop 248,030 in 2022), from our previous visit, as a grand dame of the Veneto, aged and gorgeous. We retrace our entry from the Portoni della Brà (fifteenth century) and into the Piazza Brà, and there is an enormous crowd. It's a special day, the anniversary of the Truppe Alpini di Verona, the honored alpine troops.
 

We find the celebration on the steps of the Comune di Verona, exactly where we need to buy our tourist passes. It is moving to witness this moment, in the current global context, and be able to hear from the leader of this group:

Prima di iniziare chiedo un minuto di raccogliemento per le vittime dei conflitti attualmente in corso, noi abbiamo ben presente che le guerre non sono mai la soluzione. Il nostro senso di appartenenza alla nazione, alla comunità, e il tendere la mano sempre e comunque, sono valori e ideali intramontabili che tramandiamo di padre, in figlio in un continuo che abbraccia più generazioni. Il futuro associativo si concretizza nella necessità di fare rete con le istituzioni per aiutare e guidare i nostri giovani. (Maurizio Trevisan, presidente dell’ANA Verona)

[Before we begin, I would ask for a minute of gathering for the victims of the current conflicts, we are well aware that wars are never the solution. Our sense of belonging to the nation, to the community, and reaching out always and in any case, are timeless values and ideals that we hand over from father, to son in a continuum that embraces multiple generations. The future of membership is reflected in the need to network with institutions to help and guide our young people.]

 

 

 

With our passes and a new sense of the community, we enter the Arena di Verona (30AD). Admittedly, the place is confusing as a tourist site, there is little signage, and the bathrooms are closed. However, this is more of a civic resource, an event space. In fact, there must have been an event recently, because a cleaning crew is sweeping a small mountain of water bottles and drink cups down to the lower level.

Still, it is amazing to consider that the Arena is still in use, as a municipal arena, after two thousand years.

 

 

 

 

 

And if the ancient Romans don't leave you a tourist site, you can always manufacture one. Take, for example, the Casa di Giulietta (fourteenth century, former home of the Cappelletti), a large house near the Piazza delle Erbe. It now stands among a throng of Shakespeare fans as the mythical home of the Capuleti (Capulets). Still curious to see an old, well-presented house, we risk the mosh.

Once through the crowd, our timed tickets give us quiet, controlled access to the house. It is lovely, if only fictionally significant. A small queue precedes the stone balcony where we may renew that sense of first love:

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief,

That thou her maid art far more fair than she:

Be not her maid, since she is envious;

Her vestal livery is but sick and green

And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.

(William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2)

 

 

 

The Piazza delle Erbe is Verona's heart, and the Torre dei Lamberti (twelfth century) is the Piazza's centerpiece. The Torre is a stylish, striped monolith with an octagonal bell lantern, and an over-scaled but under-stated clock facing the Piazza. At the north end of the Piazza is a column with a winged lion, marking the city as part of the Reppublica di Venezia. And the buildings all around the Piazza are full of color and variety – just spectacular.

 

 

Under the Arco della Costa is the famous whale rib. From here, we take an elevator up to the top (or nearly the top) of the Torre, where there are magnificent vistas across Verona, of the cattedrale and its nearly-white campanile, and into the Piazza.

Since our initiation of the iPhone 15 Pro Max continues, we get a great look at the winged lion, too. That is one strikingly clean statue.

 

 

 

 

 

We cross the Ponte Pietra (100BC), with its fantastic views of the twisting, rushing Adige. On the other bank is the funicolare to the Castel San Pietro (nineteenth century), a nondescript military barracks. We are not going for the Castel, but for the early sunset, though we might be too early.

 

 

 

The Piazzale Castel San Pietro is a long parking area with a high retaining wall. But this is Verona and the Piazzale looks way better than that dry description. The funicolare deposits us near a cafe, where other visitors are enjoying their aperitivos on a warm afternoon.

We walk around to the south and realize, the Piazzale faces west, right into the sun. But a convenient line of cypress trees provides cover, and we capture the panoramas. From here, the campanile of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Matricolare (twelfth century) really stands out (top image).

 

 

Just below the Castel, we recover from our long walk in the Teatro Romano (first century BC). The Teatro and the Ponte are some of the oldest things we will see on this trip. And even the Teatro is still used today for productions and shows, as evidenced by the light towers, seating and stage.

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to the train station, we pass the Porta dei Leone (first century BC) in the Verona Vecchia. We are surprised to see a trench open in the street, exposing the remnants of an ancient water system.

Then we pass the Chiesa di San Fermo (eleventh century), a wonderful composition of striped blocks, intersecting arches, and conical caps.

The artistic and architectural heritage of this stunning city is shared, celebrated, and kept alive.