We hope you are aware that the most heartwarming month of the year is coming, that is why we decided to focus on the greatest feeling in the world – Love. How wonderful it is to know that even the toughest and the coldest people on Earth have a ton of love inside that they just can’t ignore. I feel it, you feel it, everyone feels it and knows that it’s the best feeling in the whole wide world.
However, if you’re not in the mood for love right now, don’t just look away because we’re not going to talk here about people in love. Even better, we’re going to reveal the beauty of a charming city located in northern Italy; Verona, a place worth visiting despite the idea of going alone or accompanied by someone.
Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet
Like many other European cities, Verona also has a river flowing through it, initially called the Adige River. This city is famous for its medieval architecture, Roman amphitheater, spacious squares, but most of all – the wonderful and in the same time tragic story of Romeo and Juliet, a young couple that was madly in love with each other but their love was unforbidden as other people got involved in their destiny.
But this is not the only reason to visit Verona! Most of the tourists go there because they highly appreciate William Shakespeare’s work, an amazingly talented writer whose plays: Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Taming of the Shrew are set in the fascinating city of Verona. Nevertheless, even though you might not be a fan of Shakespeare’s work, you should certainly consider visiting this city as you will feel an incredible energy and see a lot of interesting stuff.
The first thing you will probably see as you enter this amazing city is the so-called Verona Arena, the grand Roman amphitheater located on the beautiful square called the Piazza Bra. It was built in the 1st century, and it’s still in use today as a place where hundreds of amazing concerts, annual fairs, shows and large-scale opera performances are being held. On an average day, you can enter to see the inside of the arena, but we sincerely suggest you attend an event organized there.
The House of Juliet
Remember that girl Juliet we mentioned previously? Well if you go to Verona and don’t bother visiting the House of Juliet, you will regret your decision afterward. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be in that fluffy love mood to do the tour of the Casa di Giulietta. Your attention will easily be caught by the engaging story of the tragic love of Romeo and Juliet. The house of Juliet, as you can suppose, is the real house where Juliet used to live and honestly if you enter it, there’s nothing extraordinary that you will find, just some old furniture. The cool stuff is in the garden and at the entrance of the House. As you approach the house of Juliet, you will encounter a mini tunnel full of people facing the walls. Now, if you’re lost with the story of this attraction, you should know that tourists are facing the walls and writing their names and sometimes the names of their lovers or even leaving love letters to have luck in their love life. After you pass by the colorful walls of the tunnel, you will see a bronze statue of Juliet and many people in a row, trying to get a photo with the statue and to get their hands on the breast of Juliet. This ritual may seem awkward, but it is a common belief that if you place your hand on the right breast of Juliet, then you will have good fortune and luck in love. Funny thing to mention is that the original statue had been removed due to damage of the rubbing of the hopeless romantics. A replica had been placed, while the original statue can be found in the Castelvecchio Museum. While you’re standing there, take a look above as you will see one small balcony that used to be Juliet’s balcony. It is lovely how she waited for Romeo to show up every night at that balcony, exchanging their deep and warm feelings towards each other.
On your way out of the House of Juliet and into the magic of Verona, visit the Piazza delle Erbe for a sweet Italian coffee in the sun. This square is usually visited by a lot of people during the day, but you won’t certainly feel like it’s crowded. There’s enough space for everyone to enjoy their time at the market or the coffee places located on the square.
History and architecture
If you’re a history lover, Verona might offer you a different kind of romance during your visit there. Markdown Castelvecchio as a tourist attraction you should visit during your stay. Castelvecchio is an old castle, which is the most important military construction of the Scaliger dynasty that ruled the city in the Middle Ages. The construction is a real example of the Gothic architecture of that age, and the castle itself is accompanied by the Castelvecchio Bridge. Inside you will not find a lot of decorations, but you will have the chance to visit the museum and hear a lot more about this historical monument.
To balance up the things a bit, Castelvecchio and the House of Juliet do not offer you an excellent view from the inside, but that is the way you can visit the Basilica of San Zeno. If you pass by this church, it won’t seem something special to you since it looks like many other churches in Italy. However, if you have the chance to visit it, take a walk inside and discover the beautiful interior of the church, which is on three levels, consisting of an extensive crypt on the lower level, the church proper and a raised presbytery. This church also holds some interesting stories, but let’s leave that up to you to discover.
If you’re into more of some Gothic architecture, then we advise you to visit the Scaliger Tombs. These are a group of five Gothic funerary monuments celebrating the Scaliger family, who ruled in Verona from the 13th to the late 14th century.
Tourists often like to experience the city from different points of view, so if you’re willing to see Verona from above, then go up the Torre dei Lamberti. This is an 84 meters high tower that lets you dream upon the streets of Verona and simply enjoy the view. Interesting to mention is that the tower was not meant to be a clock tower, but the clock was added afterward.
If you’re ever considering to travel to Italy, don’t skip on visiting this fascinating city – the city of love. Locals here are usually pleasant and welcoming, looking forward to answering your questions about the history of Verona and the great love of Romeo and Juliet. Having the reputation of the city of love, Verona is also a great place for having your dream wedding. And who knows, maybe you’ll find love after touching Juliet’s breast in Verona.
