Verona Travel Guide

Nicknamed “Piccola Roma” (Little Rome) for its historical importance and eternally famous as the setting for Romeo and Juliet’s forbidden love, Verona is a city that manages to be both romantic and monumental. A harmonious yet diverse place where still-in-use Roman buildings rub shoulders with lovely Renaissance creations and modern shops and restaurants, Verona is a wonderfully atmospheric city that brings together the best Italy has to offer.

No literary fan comes here without passing by the Casa di Giulietta (Juliette’s House), where legend says the heroine lived. Many people come just to touch the Juliette statue in the courtyard; rumor has it that if you rub her bronze breast, you will soon get a new lover. Another must-see sight is the Roman amphitheater, dating to the first century. It’s the third-largest Roman amphitheater in the world and now serves as the city’s opera house; the opera season runs from July to September, and seeing a performance at this storied place is a real treat.

Feuds and strife have been a part of Verona’s history long before Shakespeare was around to make a commentary on it. In 550 BC, the founding Euganei handed over their settlement to the Cenomani, who, in turn, ceded to the Romans in 300 BC. The city’s convenient location at the crossroads of northeastern Italy and on the banks of the Adige River helped it achieve greater importance in trade. It also made it a prize worth fighting for, and many kingdoms tried their hand at conquering it. The Goths swooped in 489 AD, followed by the Lombards a century later, and eventually, noble families took control, culminating with the long reign of the Della Scala family.

As in the rest of Italy, the city declared itself a commune in the 12th century, helped along by the city’s growing wealth and prestige, though before long, it was part of the Lombard League. A famous character in Verona’s history is Cangrande I (“Big Dog”), a member of the ruling Scaligeri family. Dante was a regular in their court, and the final chapter of his “Divine Comedy”- Paradiso- was dedicated to Cangrande. Many of the monuments you see today in Verona date back to his rule. Fast-forward to the 18th century, when the city was occupied by Napoleon, who handed the territory to Austria. Verona became part of greater Italy in 1866 when the country was unified.

Today, Verona is an elegant and wealthy city that attracts International wine lovers (it is home to Vin Italy, one of the world’s largest and most important wine fairs) and opera lovers (the summer opera season in the Roman amphitheater is spectacular). The city is a delightful, prosperous, tidy small town that offers excellent restaurants, elegant shopping, culture, and historic ambiance.