Travels in Italy--Verona

Verona is a lovely town in northern Italy in the Veneto region, not far from Venice.  The town is popular, in part, due to Verona being the setting of three Shakespearean plays.  (Can you name the three?)

Verona has existed for thousands of years and follows the typical pattern of successive civilizations over the centuries.  Remnants of the Roman civilization are still visible. 

Let's take a photographic tour of Verona. 

One of the medieval gates to the city

Colorful buildings on a main square, Piazza Bra

Some random hottie with the Roman arena in the background

The Roman arena was built in 30 A.D. and could hold 30,000 for games and shows of all sorts.  Over time, the upper levels were dismantled for construction materials used elsewhere in the town.  The lower levels of the original arena remain. 

Today, the arena is home to musical performances, ranging from opera to rock.  Above, a fan is ready for the show to begin. 

A view of a surviving section of the arena's outer ring

One of the big draws is the fictional home of Juliet of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set in Verona.  You can see Juliet's famed balcony and also a bronze statue of Juliet.  Rubbing the breast brings good luck to those unlucky in love.  Ironically, Juliet herself had bad luck. 

The unknown tourist dude pictured above looks VERY happy. 

A wall near the Juliet balcony, covered with notes pledging eternal love

In the Piazza delle Erbe, a main square and the site of the Roman forum, is the Tribune.  The Tribune was used for official ceremonies and also for subjecting chained offenders to public abuse

The Baroque-style Palazzo Maffei, on the Piazza delle Erbe.  In front of the palazzo is a column topped by St Mark's Lion representing the Republic of Venice which once ruled Verona.

Basilica di Sant'Anastasia:

Basilica di Sant'Anastasia: The nave

Basilica di Sant'Anastasia: The presbytery with the main altar

 

Basilica di Sant'Anastasia:  The left side of the presbytery

A holy water font near the entrance.  The person supporting the font must have a serious backache.

Duomo: Verona's cathedral (the Cattedrale Santa Maria Matricolare) dates from the 1100's and was built in the Romanesque style, with many renovations over the centuries.  The cathedral's interior is currently undergoing restoration and scaffolding obscured much of the church's beauty. 

We wondered whether the bar pictured operates during religious services.  In the photo, a random hottie waits for the bar to reopen.

The cathedral is built over two earlier Christian churches.  Portions have been excavated and are visible in the next two photos. 

Below a newer chapel are remnants of an earlier church

The mosaic floor of an ancient church

A random hottie poses in front of the Castelvecchio, an castle from the mid-1300's with high walls, a wet moat and drawbridges. It is apparently built on the site of a Roman fortress.

Thanks for touring Verona with us. 

P.S.  While touring Verona, we spotted a local jewelry store.  We guessed that expansion to the U.S. is not an option. 

Gioielleria Boner