September 2020 - Verona - The City of Love

You're in love? Bella Italia has something for you. The city of love in Italy is called Verona. This is where Shakespeare set Romeo and Juliet. The most famous couple in world literature even has a balcony built for them. But the house in Verona that is visited by tourists from all over the world was not the Capulet family's, but a former inn. The balcony was later added specifically for tourists. And so that everyone can find the house, it has been called Casa di Giulietta ever since.

Nowadays there is also a sculpture of Juliet here, but due to Corona it must not be touched under any circumstances. Various security guards ensure compliance with this regulation. Instead, the cameras and mobile phones of the visitors click away every second. And in the souvenir shop there are all kinds of hearts and kitsch when it comes to eternal love. By the way, we bought a bag.

Outside, in front of Juliet's house, you can immortalize your love with a padlock. However, there are already so many hanging there that they will definitely have to remove some from time to time.

So much for romance. We're done with that part.

Just a few steps from Juliet's house, you will find Piazza delle Erbe. The word Piazza stands for marketplace in German and there are still many stalls with all sorts of things to buy here. Of course, you will find groceries here, but mainly souvenir stalls. Here you can stock up on everything you need and want, from carnival masks to penis noodles.

Next, you have the opportunity to test your honesty when you pass under the Arco della Costa. The legend says that a whalebone hanging from this arch will fall down as soon as the first honest person walks beneath it. Nothing happened to us, the bone is still hanging. But what good would it do an honest person if it hit them on the head?

We preferred to enjoy the beautiful view from the bell tower. The entrance to the Torre dei Lamberti is right after the aforementioned passage. From a height of over 80 meters, you have a beautiful panoramic view from above. And for your safety, nets have even been installed so that no one can fall down. Thank goodness someone also thought of the photographers and added some larger holes to the net. There are also signs in various places informing visitors that the bells will ring directly above their heads every 30 minutes. That's why we went a few minutes earlier.

By the way, admission to the tower is 8 euros, but you also get an elevator ride to the top and then you can visit the museum. It is included in the price and is definitely worth it. In my opinion, though, it's more of a gallery. There are several rooms with paintings and of course you will also find the banners of Verona there: Romeo and Juliet! They may be pining for each other in different art styles on every picture.

In addition to the paintings already mentioned, there is also a separate room where only sculptures are displayed. And what can I say, Goethe is also among them!

Our great German poet and thinker personally visited Verona during his journey through Italy. And he was particularly fascinated by his first visit to a Roman arena. We also visited it, not just to follow in Goethe's footsteps.

By the way, the arena was built in 30 AD and is even older than the one in Rome and almost 2000 years old. Incredible!

But similar to other amphitheatres from that time, it was temporarily filled in or used as a quarry in the Middle Ages. However, from the Renaissance onwards, there were considerations to use the arena again for its original purpose. But it was not until 1913 that regular performances started again.

Finally, I have another tip for you to enjoy the view of Verona from above. For a small fee (1 euro), a funicular will take you to Castel San Pietro. We looked for it for a while before we found the entrance. So that you don't experience the same, here is the correct name to look for: Funicolare di Castel San Pietro.

The ride up only takes one minute. From there, you have a great view of the old town and the River Adige. If you like, you can take the train back down or just walk.

Does Verona have more to offer? Definitely. There is a lot to see that we couldn't cover in such a short time. So it's worth visiting, for example as a stopover between or from Venice.