"In fair Verona, where we lay our scene"...
My trip to Italy was full of famous cities; Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Venice to name a few. Each one of those cities I knew what to expect. The sites and scenes of each one of those cities can be found on Instagram or blogs. However, Verona is a city famous for its name but not famous for its sites. I had no idea what to expect from the city that sets the backdrop fro Romeo and Juliet. Was it industrial? Was it touristy? Would it be like Pisa (don't get me started on the tourist trap that is Pisa, Italy). As our bus pulled alongside the flowing waters of the Adige, I caught my breath. No, Verona was something different entirely.
Verona is a city seeping with history and architecture. As you walk through the quiet streets you may spot the Scaliger Tombs, tall structures marking the burial sites of the lords of Verona from the 13th and 14th centuries.
Not far from the tombs you can wander through Pizazza Dei Signori, easy to identify from it's Dante statue standing tall in the center.
Walking down the alley further you reach one of the most remarkable piazza's in Italy, Piazza Delle Erbe. Famous for its daily market it is the perfect place to grab lunch or just to watch the locals as they go about their market shopping.
I knew from the movie "Letters from Juliet" that Verona had a famous arena but I was stunned when I finally visited Arena di Verona. This famous arena is in excellent condition considering it was completed around 30 AD. It is still used today for concerts, which just shows how much the locals appreciate using the history around them as part off their daily lives.
And lastly, no trip to Verona is complete without visiting some Romeo and Juliet sites. Casa di Romeo (the 14th century home believed to be where the real Montague family lived) and Casa di Giulietta (the 13th century home of the Capello family) are remarkable buildings on their own. The legacy of the two families has lived on for hundreds of years, inspiring people from around the world to leave letters to Juliet and touch Juliet's statue.
Verona was so unexpected. The city is full of charm and character, making it a must visit when in the region.
xoxo
