Monuments Of Verona
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The monuments of Verona are a vast number of architecturally, archaeologically, historically, and artistically significant cultural assets that characterize the city of Verona. Precisely because of the richness of its monuments and the urban evolution that has developed seamlessly over the centuries, UNESCO declared the city a World Heritage Site in 2000.


Religious architecture


Churches

; Verona Cathedral: The Verona Cathedral is a complex of buildings consisting of the main church, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, the church of St. John in Fonte, formerly a baptistery, the church of St. Helena, and the Chapter Library, one of the oldest libraries in the world and among the most important of its kind in Europe. Where the Cathedral stands today, public baths and a temple dedicated to Minerva probably stood in Roman times.''Notiziario della Banca Popolare di Verona'', Verona, 1991, n. 2. The first basilica was built in the area now occupied by the church of St. Helen, though already around the middle of the fifth century, in view of its small size, a second, larger church building had to be built, while the undemolished parts of the older building were used for various functions. The latter, however, collapsed toward the end of the 8th century due to a fire, so that extensive remains of mosaic floors under the church of St. Helen and in the canonical cloister still survive of these first two early Christian churches. Thus, between the end of the 8th century and the beginning of the 9th, the new cathedral dedicated to St. Mary Matricular was built on the very area where it still stands today, work that was planned and begun by Bishop Annon and completed by one of his successors, Ratoldo. The disastrous earthquake of 1117, however, severely damaged it, and it was then enlarged and heavily restored over the next two decades, acquiring its final Romanesque appearance, although over the centuries it underwent several modernizations that partly modified its morphology, particularly in the early medieval and Renaissance periods. ; Basilica of San Zeno:The basilica of San Zeno, overlooking the same square on which the abbey tower of San Zeno and the church of San Procolo stand, is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture in Italy. The site where the basilica would later be built was originally a Roman and early Christian cemetery area near the Via Gallica, where Verona's bishop Zeno, the city's patron saint, was also buried, and on which a church and a '' coenobium'' were built. The building was rebuilt in the early 9th century at the behest of Bishop Ratoldo and the king of Italy Pepin, who judged it inconvenient for the body of the patron saint to rest in a poor church, so, with the help of Archdeacon Pacifico, a new basilica was built to which the saint's body could be transferred, which was completed and consecrated in 806. The building underwent several reconstructions due to the Hungarian invasions and the earthquake of 1117, so its final appearance in Lombard Romanesque style derives from major works carried out over the centuries, while still keeping the medieval layout substantially unchanged. The church houses several works of art, including a masterpiece by Andrea Mantegna, the
San Zeno altarpiece The ''San Zeno Altarpiece'' is a triptych by the Italian Renaissance painter Andrea Mantegna, from c. 1457–1460. It is located in the Basilica di San Zeno, the main church of Verona. The three predellas, stripped by the French in 1797 al ...
, the famous portal with its bronze panels, and the large rose window on the facade, called the "Wheel of Fortune," by the stone mason Brioloto de Balneo. ; Basilica of St. Anastasia: The basilica of Santa Anastasia, which retains the name of a pre-existing church from the Lombard era dedicated to the fourth-century martyr Anastasia of Sirmium, is a masterful example of Italian Gothic architecture. The building stands at the terminal section of the ancient '' decumanus maximus'', Verona's main Roman road continuation of the Via Postumia, next to the smaller, deconsecrated church of St. Peter Martyr. At the end of the 13th century, the Dominican order settled there, to whom is owed the construction of the Gothic basilica, also dedicated to
St. Peter Martyr Peter of Verona (1205 – April 6, 1252), also known as Saint Peter Martyr and Saint Peter of Verona, was a 13th-century Italian Catholic priest. He was a Dominican friar and a celebrated preacher. He served as Inquisitor in Lombardy, was kill ...
, a Dominican native of Verona and patron saint of the city along with
St. Zeno Zeno of Verona ( it, Zenone da Verona; about 300 – 371 or 380) was either an early Christian Bishop of Verona or a martyr. He is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Orthodox Church. Life and historicity According to a Veronese aut ...
. A great contribution to the construction of the church is owed to the
Della Scala family The Della Scala family, whose members were known as Scaligeri () or Scaligers (; from the Latinized ''de Scalis''), was the ruling family of Verona and mainland Veneto (except for Venice) from 1262 to 1387, for a total of 125 years. History Wh ...
,
Lords of Verona The Lords of Verona ruled the city from 1260 until 19 October 1387 and for ten days in 1404. The lordship was created when Mastino I della Scala was raised to the rank of ''capitano del popolo'' from that of ''podestà''. His descendants, the Scalig ...
, through generous donations and testamentary bequests that financed its lengthy construction. Work continued until the end of the 16th century, never reaching completion of the façade. In the right transept of the church is the Pellegrini Chapel, famous because it contains what is considered
Pisanello Pisanello (c. 1380/1395c. 1450/1455), born Antonio di Puccio Pisano or Antonio di Puccio da Cereto, also erroneously called Vittore Pisano by Giorgio Vasari, was one of the most distinguished painters of the early Italian Renaissance and Quattroc ...
's masterpiece, the '' St. George and the Princess'', frescoed on the outer wall above the entrance arch. ; Church of San Fermo: The church of San Fermo Maggiore is one of the most original religious buildings in Verona, consisting of two churches built in different periods, connected and overlapping each other. The lower part of the church building was built mainly between the 11th and 12th centuries in the Romanesque style, which was followed by major works in the 14th century, during which the upper church was built and the earlier style was harmoniously blended with the typical Gothic architecture.. This Gothic episode constitutes a singular case in the city's panorama, both because of the presence of spires and pinnacles that are evidently intended to refer to French architecture, and because of the presence of an unusual roof, composed of two pitches on which clings a wooden structure that takes on the appearance of an upside-down ship's hull due to the presence of a series of corbels alternating with half-vaults, superimposed on each other. The complex, located in the vicinity of Ponte Navi, was built on the site of an earlier one, which in turn was built where tradition has it that Saints
Firmus and Rusticus Saints Firmus and Rusticus ( it, San Fermo e San Rustico) (died c. 290 AD) are venerated as two martyrs of Verona. Their unreliable ''Acts'' state that Firmus and Rusticus, kinsmen, were prominent citizens of Bergamo. They were martyred at Vero ...
suffered martyrdom in 304. ;Other churches Other churches of special significance in Verona include: * Church of San Bernardino, a 15th-century building that was part of a Franciscan convent. In particular, the Pellegrini Chapel, designed by the famous Veronese architect Michele Sanmicheli in the 16th century, occupies a fundamental place in the history of Italian architecture; * Church of St. Euphemia, the foundation of which is due to the Scaligeri. The vast interiors contain valuable works by several painters of the Veronese school, including:
Giovan Francesco Caroto Giovanni Francesco Caroto (1480 – 1555 or 1558) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance active mainly in his native city of Verona. He initially apprenticed under Liberale da Verona (1445–1526/1529), a conservative painter infused with the ...
,
Francesco Torbido Francesco Torbido (Venice 1486–1562) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Verona and Venice. He is also known as ''il Moro''. Biography He studied in Venice under Giorgione and then went to Verona and married the ...
,
il Moretto Alessandro Bonvicino (also Buonvicino) (possibly 22 December 1554), more commonly known as Moretto, or in Italian Il Moretto da Brescia (the Moor of Brescia), was an Italian Renaissance painter from Brescia, where he also mostly worked. His ...
, Dionisio Battaglia,
Battista del Moro Battista del Moro (1512 – after 1568) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period active in his native Verona, as well as in Mantua and Venice. This artists is referred to by various names including Battista D’Agnolo Veronese by Filipp ...
,
Paolo Farinati Paolo Farinati (also known as ''Farinato'' or ''Farinato degli Uberti''; c. 1524 – c. 1606) was an Italian painter of the Mannerist style, active in mainly in his native Verona, but also in Mantua and Venice. He may have ancestors among Flore ...
, Jacopo Ligozzi, Bernardino India, Domenico and
Felice Brusasorzi Felice Riccio (1542–1605) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance period, born and mainly active in Verona. He is also known as ''il Brusasorci'' or ''Brusasorzi'' or ''Felice Brusasorci''. He was the son of the painter Domenico Riccio. H ...
; * Church of San Giorgio in Braida, a Renaissance building admired by Scipione Maffei and Goethe for the numerous works of art housed there, particularly Tintoretto's ''Baptism of Christ'' placed above the main door, the two huge canvases placed near the chancel, namely the ''Multiplication of the Loaves'' and ''The Manna in the Desert'' by
Paolo Farinati Paolo Farinati (also known as ''Farinato'' or ''Farinato degli Uberti''; c. 1524 – c. 1606) was an Italian painter of the Mannerist style, active in mainly in his native Verona, but also in Mantua and Venice. He may have ancestors among Flore ...
and
Domenico Brusasorzi Domenico Riccio (also known as commonly known as Domenico Brusasorci; 1516–1567) was an Italian painter in a Mannerist style from Verona, best known for frescos. He first apprenticed with his father. Later, he has been reported to have trai ...
respectively, and the '' Martyrdom of St. George'', a 1564 work by
Paolo Veronese Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , also , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana'' (1563) and ''The ...
, hanging in the apse basin; * Church of San Giovanni in Foro is a church building that, as its name suggests, bordered directly on the Verona Forum, and for the same reason in the past it also had the title of basilica. On the exterior is a marble triptych with an inscription commemorating the fire that did serious damage to the town and destroyed the church in 1172, as well as a small Renaissance masterpiece, the entrance portal carved by Gerolamo Giolfino and with the niche frescoed by Nicola Giolfino; * Church of San Giovanni in Valle, which was built on the site of a pagan necropolis and a Roman temple, is one of the oldest churches in Verona and a masterpiece of Verona's mature Romanesque style. In the crypt, next to the high altar, are kept two sarcophagi of great value: one dating from the fourth century has a bas-relief sculpture on three sides in two overlapping orders with stories from the Old and New Testaments narrated, and the other, from the second or third century, is a strigilated sarcophagus from the pagan period with two spouses in a shell in the center, above a rural scene and with two figures of philosophers later transformed into Christian saints on either side; * Church of San Lorenzo, which was built in the 5th century between the Via Postumia and the
Adige River The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the prov ...
, perfectly oriented according to the road layout of Roman Verona, despite undergoing major transformations in the 12th century following the disastrous earthquake that struck Verona. The façade is characterized by two large circular scalar towers placed on either side of a hanging
prothyrum A vestibule (also anteroom, antechamber, or foyer) is a small room leading into a larger space such as a lobby, entrance hall or passage, for the purpose of waiting, withholding the larger space view, reducing heat loss, providing storage space ...
: these, a rare example of Norman architecture in northern Italy, allowed access to the large tribunes placed above the aisles; * Church of Santa Maria Antica, consecrated in 1185 by the patriarch of Aquileia, was the private chapel of the Scaligeri, Lords of Verona, who built the Scaliger Tombs, or the family cemetery, to the side. The entrance door is surmounted by the tomb and statue of
Cangrande I della Scala Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...
, an enlightened and respected ruler, with whom the city rediscovered a new period of splendor and importance, so much so that Dante dedicated the entire cantica of Paradise in the Divine Comedy to him; * Church of Santa Maria in Organo, characterized by a majestic unfinished façade: the lower part in white marble is the work of the famous Renaissance architect Michele Sanmicheli, while the upper part in rows of terracotta and tuff still presents its ancient Romanesque-Gothic appearance. Particularly refined are the
inlays Inlay covers a range of techniques in sculpture and the decorative arts for inserting pieces of contrasting, often colored materials into depressions in a base object to form Ornament (art), ornament or pictures that normally are flush with th ...
in the wooden choir and on the sacristy cupboards, made in the late 15th and early 16th centuries by
Fra Giovanni da Verona Fra Giovanni da Verona (c. 1457, Verona – 1525) was an Italian Olivetan The Olivetans, formally known as the Order of Our Lady of Mount Olivet, are a monastic order. They were founded in 1313 and recognised in 1344. They use the Rule of Sa ...
, where urban landscapes, allegories, still lifes and various objects are depicted; * Church of Saints Nazaro and Celso, a building made in a mixture of Gothic style and Renaissance architecture. In the church is the Chapel of St. Blaise, completed in 1508 to house the relics of the martyrs
St. Blaise Blaise of Sebaste ( hy, Սուրբ Վլասի, ''Surb Vlasi''; el, Ἅγιος Βλάσιος, ''Agios Vlasios''; ) was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey) who is venerated as a Christian saint and m ...
and St. Juliana, which houses the masterpieces of some of the most important Veronese painters of the 16th century, notably
Giovanni Maria Falconetto Giovanni Maria Falconetto (c. 1468–1535) was an Italian architect and artist. He designed among the first high Renaissance buildings in Padua, the '' Loggia Cornaro'', a garden ''loggia'' for Alvise Cornaro built as a Roman doric arcade. Alon ...
,
Bartolomeo Montagna Bartolomeo (or Bartolommeo) Montagna (, , ; 1450?– 11 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter who mainly worked in Vicenza. He also produced works in Venice, Verona, and Padua. He is most famous for his many Madonnas and his works are ...
and Girolamo dai Libri; * Church of Saints Siro and Libera, a small church founded in the 10th century among the ruins of Verona's ancient Roman theater. The building underwent some transformations during the 14th century, when side chapels were added and the choir was built, while the two-branched staircase for access to the building was built at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries; * Church of St. Stephen, a church building of very ancient origins; despite some remodeling over the centuries, part of the structure remains the one built around the fifth century, making it an almost unique example of early Christian architecture in Verona. Also inside is the Varalli Chapel, one of the most flourishing examples of Baroque architecture in the Verona area; * Church of Saints Teuteria and Tosca, partly incorporated into the Church of the Holy Apostles, is a Greek cross-shaped shrine dating back to the 5th century: this makes it the oldest church in the Veneto region. It was built on the side of the Via Postumia, probably near the Christian cemetery where the two saints had been buried; * Church of San Tomaso Cantuariense, which houses numerous works of art that were made by famous painters of the Veronese school, including canvases by
Paolo Farinati Paolo Farinati (also known as ''Farinato'' or ''Farinato degli Uberti''; c. 1524 – c. 1606) was an Italian painter of the Mannerist style, active in mainly in his native Verona, but also in Mantua and Venice. He may have ancestors among Flore ...
, Girolamo dai Libri,
Alessandro Turchi Alessandro Turchi (1578 – 22 January 1649) was an Italian painter of the early Baroque, born and active mainly in Verona, and moving late in life to Rome. He also went by the name Alessandro Veronese or the nickname ''L'Orbetto''. His style ...
and Antonio Balestra. Also inside is a historic Baroque pipe organ that was played by the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on January 7, 1770, during one of his trips to Italy, and he left his initials engraved on the case with a penknife, which are still visible today; * Church of San Zeno in Oratorio, a small Romanesque church also known as San Zeno Oratore, as tradition has it that it was a refuge where the patron saint Zeno would retire to pray. The stone used by Zeno to sit on while fishing nearby in the nearby
Adige River The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the prov ...
is found there, a symbol of the sobriety of his life and his mandate as a fisher of souls.


Cemeteries

; Scaliger tombs: The Scaliger tombs, located to the side of the church of Santa Maria Antica, just a few steps from the Piazza dei Signori, are a scenic and monumental funerary complex of the Scaliger family, intended to contain the remains of some of the illustrious representatives of the lineage, including that of the most famous Lord of Verona,
Cangrande I della Scala Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...
, to whom Dante Alighieri dedicates Paradise. It is a masterpiece of Gothic art, an incredible fusion of sculpture and architecture, so much so that the French historian
Georges Duby Georges Duby (7 October 1919 – 3 December 1996) was a French historian who specialised in the social and economic history of the Middle Ages. He ranks among the most influential medieval historians of the twentieth century and was one of Franc ...
, in his ''Europe of the Middle Ages'', called the Scaliger tombs "one of the most distinguished and significant monuments of Gothic art." The Scaliger sepulchre consists of three main canopied tombs, those of
Mastino II Mastino II della Scala (1308 – 3 June 1351) was lord of Verona. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of Northern Italy. He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. At the death of Cangrande I, he and his brothe ...
and
Cansignorio della Scala Cansignorio della Scala (5 March 1340 – 19 October 1375) was Lord of Verona from 1359 until 1375, initially together with his brother Paolo Alboino. Biography He inherited the lordship of Verona at the death of his father Mastino, together wit ...
, as well as the aforementioned
Cangrande I della Scala Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...
, but there are also the tombs of six members of the dynasty: Mastino I, Alberto I,
Bartolomeo Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo is a masculine Italian given name, the Italian equivalent of Bartholomew. Its diminutive form is Baccio. Notable people with the name include: * Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo (1824–1860), Italian paleobotanist and liche ...
, Alboino, Giovanni and
Cangrande II della Scala Cangrande II della Scala (7 June 1332Gian Maria Varaninidella Scala, Cangrande ''DBI'', Volume XXXVII (1989), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani – 14 December 1359) was Lord of Verona from 1351 until his death. In 1351, after the ...
. ; Monumental cemetery: Verona's Monumental Cemetery is the city's main cemetery, characterized by a sober neoclassical style and a main facade decorated with sculptures inspired by the Canovian style. Its construction became necessary as a result of Napoleonic laws that required cemetery areas to be built outside the city walls, so in 1828 the architect Giuseppe Barbieri was commissioned to build the new cemetery near Porta Vittoria. The complex, despite its generous size, was quickly completed, so new additions were made in the 1910s and 1930s. Inside are housed some two hundred monumental tombs, adorned with sculptures by artists including some by Giovanni Dupré,
Ettore Ferrari Ettore Ferrari (Rome, 25 March 1845 – Rome, 19 August 1929) was an Italian sculptor. Biography Born in Rome to an artistic family (his father was also a painter), Ferrari was one of the members of the artistic rebirth in the secular state bo ...
, and Luigi Ferrari, as well as numerous local sculptors and architects, such as Ugo Zannoni and Ettore Fagiuoli. Famous burials include those of Futurist artist
Umberto Boccioni Umberto Boccioni (, ; 19 October 1882 – 17 August 1916) was an influential Italian painter and sculptor. He helped shape the revolutionary aesthetic of the Futurism movement as one of its principal figures. Despite his short life, his approach ...
, writer Emilio Salgari, and Renaissance architect Michele Sanmicheli.


Synagogues

; Synagogue of Verona: The Verona synagogue is located in the heart of what for many centuries was the Jewish ghetto of Verona, just a few steps from Via Mazzini. The construction of the building began in the second half of the 19th century and was finished with a modern compositional language chosen by Verona architect Ettore Fagiuoli in the first half of the following century. Having been built at a time of emancipation and social equalization of Jews, the place of worship is clearly identifiable from the outside due to its monumental facade, with the entrance portal set in a sort of large marble triumphal arch decorated with six bas-relief panels with Jewish symbols and surmounted by the Tablets of the Law. It is one of the largest synagogues in northern Italy, being able to accommodate approximately one thousand people.


Civil architecture


Palaces

; Palazzo della Ragione: The Palazzo della Ragione (Palace of Reason), so named because during the rule of the Serenissima it housed the court, is a large central courtyard complex located straddling Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori, built in the late 12th century to house the new magistracies of the Comune. The heart of political power first, and judicial power later, over the centuries it underwent a number of transformations to house the College of Notaries, the Silk Duty, the Fiscal Chamber, the Savings Bank, the Magistrate's Court and the Court of Assizes. The most prestigious room is the Notaries' Chapel, built between 1408 and 1419 on the commission of the College of Notaries, who dedicated it to Saints Zeno and Daniel. The room consists of four communicating rooms covered with ribbed vaults and houses one of the most important decorative complexes made on public commission in Verona, executed in the 18th century by Veronese painters
Alessandro Marchesini Alessandro Marchesini (30 April 1664 – 27 January 1738) was an Italian painter and art merchant of the late-Baroque and Rococo, active in Northern Italy and Venice. He first trained in Verona with Biagio Falcieri and then with Antonio Cal ...
, Giambattista Bellotti, Sante Prunati, and Frenchman
Louis Dorigny Ludovico Dorigny (1654 – 17 October 1742) was a French painter and engraver. Trained in his native country, he spent most of his life and career in Verona, Italy. Life and career Born Louis Dorigny into a family of Parisian artists, Dorigny ...
. Also part of the building complex are the Lamberti Tower, built in 1172 and elevated several times until it became the tallest tower in the city, and the Stairway of Reason, fine late Gothic architecture built of red Verona marble. Following the displacement of the courthouse, the building was restored to a design by Tobia Scarpa in the early 21st century, becoming the permanent home of the Achille Forti Gallery of Modern Art, which displays modern Italian works by artists such as Giacomo Balla,
Umberto Boccioni Umberto Boccioni (, ; 19 October 1882 – 17 August 1916) was an influential Italian painter and sculptor. He helped shape the revolutionary aesthetic of the Futurism movement as one of its principal figures. Despite his short life, his approach ...
, and Francesco Hayez. ; Palazzo del Capitanio: The Palazzo del Capitanio is a large building with a central courtyard facing Piazza dei Signori, so named because in Venetian times the ''Capitano'', or city rector, settled there. Originally the palace, built by
Cansignorio della Scala Cansignorio della Scala (5 March 1340 – 19 October 1375) was Lord of Verona from 1359 until 1375, initially together with his brother Paolo Alboino. Biography He inherited the lordship of Verona at the death of his father Mastino, together wit ...
in the 14th century, was a fortified building with an austere appearance, characterized by three imposing towers that made it look almost like a castle; of this medieval palace only one of the towers survives intact, while the rest of the building underwent some transformations during the 16th century, so that its present appearance looks partly Gothic and partly from the Renaissance. Of particular artistic interest are the entrance portal to the building's courtyard, probably the work of architect Michele Sanmicheli, and the
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
portal known as the portal of the Bombardiers, as in the past it gave access from the courtyard of the palace to the headquarters of the city's artillery corps. The palace is home to the Scavi Scaligeri International Center for Photography, an underground exhibition space that was built within an archaeological site that came to light between 1981 and 1983: the museum thus allows visitors to see Roman, Lombard, and medieval artifacts while simultaneously visiting exhibitions by international photographers. ; Juliet's House: Casa Capuleti, long owned by the noble Dal Cappello family, whose coat of arms is visible in the entrance arch facing the courtyard, is a medieval residential building built in the 12th century on Cappello Street. The Cappello-Capuleti juxtaposition led to the belief that this was the real house of
Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist R ...
, the protagonist of the well-known tragedy by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare, and in accordance with this it was restored in 1935 by the director of the Veronese Civic Museums Antonio Avena: the work led to the replacement of the previous balcony with a more striking marble one, as well as the modification of some doors and windows. The works inside the house respected the structure of the medieval spaces, such as the balustrade that allows communication between the different rooms of the house, and such as the main hall on the second floor, which in the past could be used indifferently for living and sleeping. The pictorial decorations, on the other hand, while reiterating recurring themes for the time when the building was constructed, were produced from scratch. In the courtyard is a bronze statue of Juliet by sculptor Nereo Costantini. ; Gran Guardia: The Palazzo della Gran Guardia is a monumental complex overlooking
Piazza Bra Piazza Bra, often shortened to Bra, is the largest piazza in Verona, Italy, with some claims that it is the largest in the country.Parks, TimVerona: Take the pulse in the piazza ''The Telegraph''. 5 January 2008. Accessed 28 September 2011. The ...
, a short distance from
Palazzo Barbieri Palazzo Barbieri is a Neoclassical style palace located in Piazza Bra in Central Verona; it now serves as the town hall. The palace was originally named ''Palazzo della Gran Guardia Nuova'', and housed staff associated with the occupying Austrian ...
and the
Arena of Verona The Verona Arena ( it, Arena di Verona ) is a Roman amphitheatre in Piazza Bra in Verona, Italy built in 30 AD. It is still in use today and is internationally famous for the large-scale opera performances given there. It is one of the best p ...
. Construction work began in the early 17th century on a design by architect Domenico Curtoni: initially it was intended to be used as a weapon facility, with a vast portico that could be used to review troops and a main floor that would house the military academy. Work was interrupted, however, and did not resume until 1820, when architect Giuseppe Barbieri took over Curtoni's design and completed the work previously begun. The design of the building was influenced both by the one from the overlooking Roman amphitheater, particularly by the succession of wide arcades on the ground floor, and by the architecture of the famous Renaissance architect Michele Sanmicheli, in particular the two-story subdivision is reminiscent of the nearby Honorij Palace while the gables of the upper windows are similar to those of Bevilacqua Palace, located on Corso Cavour. The building was restored and expanded in the late 20th century to accommodate a modern and accessible multi-level conference and exhibition center. ; Other palaces Other palaces of special significance in Verona include: * Case Mazzanti, which are a series of terraced residential buildings facing Piazza Erbe. They are among the oldest buildings in the city as well as the best-preserved example of the widespread Renaissance custom of frescoing the walls of city dwellings, which earned Verona the nickname ''Urbs Picta''. In the picturesque alley behind there were in 1797 the first scuffles that started the revolt of the Veronese Easter against the French occupiers; * ''
Domus Mercatorum The Domus Mercatorum or Casa dei Mercanti is a medieval edifice at Piazza delle Erbe in Verona, northern Italy. During the Middle Ages it was home to the Casa dei Mercanti, the guild of the city's merchants, while today is home to the Banca Po ...
'', which is a medieval building overlooking Piazza Erbe, commissioned by
Alberto I della Scala Alberto I della Scala (died 3 September 1301) was lord of Verona from 1277, a member of the Scaliger family. The son of Jacopino della Scala, he was ''podestà'' of Mantua in 1272 and 1275. In 1277, after the assassination of his brother Mastino I ...
, Lord of Verona, as the seat of the Guild of Arts and Crafts, so that people could trade and discuss various aspects of the city's economic life there; * Loggia del Consiglio, one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Verona. It was commissioned by the city's mayors for the sessions of the ''Patrio Consiglio'', an expression of municipal autonomy in the Venetian period. The building, located in Piazza dei Signori next to other representative buildings (palazzo del Capitanio and palazzo del Podestà, which instead housed two Venetian governors) has long been attributed to
Giovanni Giocondo Giovanni Giocondo, Order of Friars Minor, (c. 1433 – 1515) was an Italian friar, architect, antiquary, archaeologist, and classical scholar. Biography Giovanni Giocondo was born in Verona around 1433. He joined the Dominican Order at the ...
, hence its second name of "''loggia di Fra' Giocondo''"; *
Palazzo Barbieri Palazzo Barbieri is a Neoclassical style palace located in Piazza Bra in Central Verona; it now serves as the town hall. The palace was originally named ''Palazzo della Gran Guardia Nuova'', and housed staff associated with the occupying Austrian ...
, which houses the municipal administration, is an imposing neoclassical building designed by Giuseppe Barbieri and built between 1836 and 1848, when Verona was part of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, under the direct dependencies of the Austrian Empire, and the complex served as the headquarters of the Civic Guard Corps. The Hall of the Tapestries houses two huge 16th-century canvases, one coming out of
Paolo Veronese Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , also , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana'' (1563) and ''The ...
's workshop and attributed to the two brothers, and a second by
Paolo Farinati Paolo Farinati (also known as ''Farinato'' or ''Farinato degli Uberti''; c. 1524 – c. 1606) was an Italian painter of the Mannerist style, active in mainly in his native Verona, but also in Mantua and Venice. He may have ancestors among Flore ...
depicting the victory of the Veronese over
Frederick Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...
's troops; * Palazzo Bevilacqua, a Renaissance building designed by the famous architect Michele Sanmicheli but never completed, as evidenced by the asymmetrical position of the portal on the facade. The main floor of the palace is enclosed between a continuous balcony and a rich
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
; *
Palazzo Canossa Palazzo Canossa is a palace in Verona, northern Italy. It was erected by commission of the Marquises of Canossa to architect Michele Sanmicheli in 1527, not far from the Arco dei Gavi and the Castelvecchio. Palazzo Canossa is in Mannerist sty ...
, which is one of Michele Sanmicheli's masterpieces, so important that it hosted European rulers such as
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, Tsar Alexander I, and the emperors of Austria
Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...
,
Ferdinand I Ferdinand I or Fernando I may refer to: People * Ferdinand I of León, ''the Great'' (ca. 1000–1065, king from 1037) * Ferdinand I of Portugal and the Algarve, ''the Handsome'' (1345–1383, king from 1367) * Ferdinand I of Aragon and Sicily, '' ...
, and Franz Joseph I. During the 16th century it was decorated by Verona's most important painters, Bernardino India,
Battista del Moro Battista del Moro (1512 – after 1568) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period active in his native Verona, as well as in Mantua and Venice. This artists is referred to by various names including Battista D’Agnolo Veronese by Filipp ...
, and
Paolo Veronese Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , also , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana'' (1563) and ''The ...
; *
Palazzo Dalla Torre Palazzo Dalla Torre is a patrician palace in Verona, northern Italy, designed by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio for Giambattista Dalla Torre. The ''palazzo'' was probably built from 1555, but remained unfinished. Allied bombardmen ...
, the only work of Andrea Palladio in the city of Verona, whose design was only partially realized. The building was badly damaged during a World War II bombing, so only the majestic entrance portal and a courtyard with columns and
entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
remain of the original building; * Palazzo dei Diamanti, or more correctly Palazzo Cappella Sansebastiani, is a building whose design is attributed to Bernardino Brugnoli in the 16th century and was inspired by the better-known Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara. Like that one, it is characterized by a facade face made of diamond-pointed carved stones; * Palazzo Emilei Forti is a building that dates back to the 13th century but underwent major transformations in subsequent centuries, particularly in the 18th century when the main facade was renovated. Managed by the ''Fondazione Arena Di Verona'', its halls house AMO, an acronym for Arena Museo Opera, dedicated entirely to opera with photographs, sets, music, costumes, and original sketches and scores by
Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the '' bel canto'' opera style dur ...
, Giacomo Puccini, Gioachino Rossini, and
Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
, while it previously housed the Achille Forti Gallery of Modern Art; * Palazzo Giusti del Giardino, which houses an interesting 16th-century
Italianate garden The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italia ...
. The construction of the representative palace in the style of Sanmicheli and the arrangement of the garden according to the fashion of the time is due to the Tuscan Giusti family, which moved to Verona in the 15th century; *
Palazzo Maffei Palazzo Maffei is a historical palace in Verona, northern Italy, on the north-western side of Piazza delle Erbe. History A building existed in the current location in the 15th century, but on 20 December 1469 the nobleman Marcantonio Maffei dec ...
is a
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
building that borders one side of Piazza delle Erbe. Built in the 17th century on three levels, the ground floor is punctuated by five wide arcades, the main floor features five large and elegant balcony windows framed in Ionic half-columns, while smaller rooms open on the second floor. Above closes the elevation a final elegant balustrade surmounted by six statues of Greek gods, including one from the Roman period; * Palazzo del Podestà is a courtyard building built around the end of the 13th century. The monumental palace was the residence of many of the Scaligeri family and hosted
Cangrande I della Scala Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...
and his court, including Dante Alighieri, an exile from Florence, and Giotto, who probably frescoed some rooms in the palace itself but whose work has been lost over the centuries. During the period of Serenissima rule, the palace housed the Podestà, or the official who exercised executive and judicial power for Venice. The Gothic facade facing Piazza dei Signori features a fine Renaissance portal by Michele Sanmicheli; * Palazzo Pompei, famous Renaissance building, was commissioned in the 16th century by the noble Lavezzola family from architect Michele Sanmicheli. In the 1830s the building was donated by its owners to the municipality of Verona, which restored it so that it could house a gallery, which now houses the Civic Museum of Natural History; * The administrative headquarters of Banco BPM is the work of the well-known Venetian architect
Carlo Scarpa Carlo Scarpa (2 June 1906 – 28 November 1978) was an Italian architect, influenced by the materials, landscape and the history of Venetian culture, and by Japan. Scarpa translated his interests in history, regionalism, invention, and the tec ...
, who designed it in the 1970s, after he had already worked in Verona on the restoration of the Castelvecchio museum. The building, which fits perfectly into the urban context, is characterized, especially in its facades, by a constant reference to ancient architecture, although reinterpreted and presented in a modern style.


Villas

; Villa Bernini Buri: Villa Bernini Buri, located in the heart of the Adige Park, is one of the most important examples of a Venetian villa in the entire Veronese territory, both for the monumental character of its architecture and for its historical importance, as the structure of the complex has remained unaltered, still preserving, in addition to the manor house, two chapels, the rustic cottages, the stables and the farmer's house. The manor house was richly furnished and frescoed, had a library that also collected manuscripts and parchments, and there were works of art from the Italian tradition (including paintings by the painter and miniaturist
Liberale da Verona Liberale da Verona (1441–1526) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Verona. In popular culture: In the British TV series ''Inspector Morse (TV series), Inspector Morse'', in the episode "The Death of the Self ...
) and
Flemish painters Flemish painting flourished from the early 15th century until the 17th century, gradually becoming distinct from the painting of the rest of the Low Countries, especially the modern Netherlands. In the early period, up to about 1520, the painting ...
. However, at the end of World War II, in just five days, the villa was ransacked and stripped of all its possessions by the townspeople, who were enraged against the nobility whom they held guilty of the war. The main building was built in the early 17th century to a design by Domenico Brugnoli, a nephew of Sanmicheli. ;Other villas Other villas of special significance in Verona include: * Villa Malfatti Balladoro is a complex with Baroque features that was built in an isolated position on the slopes of a hill in Valpantena. In addition to the manor house and some rustic buildings there is an oratory built in the 18th century that housed a painting by
Paolo Farinati Paolo Farinati (also known as ''Farinato'' or ''Farinato degli Uberti''; c. 1524 – c. 1606) was an Italian painter of the Mannerist style, active in mainly in his native Verona, but also in Mantua and Venice. He may have ancestors among Flore ...
and one by Antonio Balestra, now located in another place; * Villa Marioni Pullè, a 17th-century building nestled in a park at Chievo, a few steps from the
Adige River The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the prov ...
, designed by architect Ignazio Pellegrini. The monumental complex, well known in Verona, was a place of meetings and gatherings of some of the most important figures in the political and cultural life of the 18th and 19th centuries, so much so that it hosted Joseph II of Habsburg-Lorraine, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and Umberto I, king of Italy; * Villa San Dionigi, or Villa Erbisti Rossi Chiampan, is one of the most important examples of neoclassical architecture in Verona. Its current layout dates back to the 19th century, when the owners decided to demolish the previous building to create the sumptuous new manor house. Inside the park is a 12th-century chapel that was once part of the property of the abbey of San Zeno.


Towers

Among the towers of special significance in Verona are: * San Zeno Abbey Tower, a solid, tall crenellated brick tower built in two phases in the 12th century that was part of the San Zeno Abbey. Inside are fine frescoes from the late 13th century, including a particularly famous one in which a procession pays homage to a seated figure on a throne; * Torre del Gardello is a tall brick building located a few steps from Piazza Erbe, next to
Palazzo Maffei Palazzo Maffei is a historical palace in Verona, northern Italy, on the north-western side of Piazza delle Erbe. History A building existed in the current location in the 15th century, but on 20 December 1469 the nobleman Marcantonio Maffei dec ...
. It was built in the 12th century and in the following century was equipped with the city's oldest bell clock, a tribute from the Lord of Verona
Cansignorio della Scala Cansignorio della Scala (5 March 1340 – 19 October 1375) was Lord of Verona from 1359 until 1375, initially together with his brother Paolo Alboino. Biography He inherited the lordship of Verona at the death of his father Mastino, together wit ...
, whose chimes began to regulate the public and private affairs of the people of Verona. Today the bell is on display at the Castelvecchio Museum; *
Torre dei Lamberti The Torre dei Lamberti is an 84 m high tower in Verona, northern Italy. Construction of the tower was started in 1172. In May 1403 the top of the tower was struck by lightning, but the restoration works didn't start until 1448 and took 16 y ...
, built in the 12th century and rebuilt several times until it became the tallest tower in the city, is part of the Palazzo della Ragione complex. In 1295 two bells were installed there that still stand today, the Marangona, which rang the hour of the end of the craftsmen's work and sounded the alarm in case of fires, and the Rengo, which gathered the city council or called the citizens to arms in case of need.


Theaters

; Verona Arena: The Arena is a Roman
amphitheater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
, now located in the center of the city, in the elegant
Piazza Bra Piazza Bra, often shortened to Bra, is the largest piazza in Verona, Italy, with some claims that it is the largest in the country.Parks, TimVerona: Take the pulse in the piazza ''The Telegraph''. 5 January 2008. Accessed 28 September 2011. The ...
, although when it was built, in the 1st century, it was located just outside the
city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
. It is the monument that more than any other recalls Verona's Roman origins, so much so that it has become a symbol of the Veneto town throughout the world, along with the figures of
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
. It is one of the great buildings that have characterized Roman architecture and one of the ancient amphitheaters that has come down to us with the best degree of preservation, owing to the systematic restorations carried out since the 16th century; for this very reason, despite the many transformations it has undergone, it allows the visitor to be able to easily understand the structure of this kind of building, strictly subject to the function for which it was intended but nonetheless endowed with an essential beauty. Due to its capacity of 22,000 spectators (which in Roman times even reached 30,000 seats, as it was not the stage, which occupies about a third of the seats, and due to the presence of the portico at the highest part of the cavea), in the summer season it hosts the famous Arenian opera festival, whose seasons have been held continuously since 1913, while in the spring and autumn seasons it is a stage for many international singers and musicians. In the past, however, it hosted not only gladiatorial fights and Roman-era shows, but also tournaments and jousts of chivalry, ballets, circuses, plays and even bullfights. ; Roman theater: The
Roman theater Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
is an
open-air theater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
built in the first century B.C. at the foot of San Pietro Hill, on the left bank of the
Adige River The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the prov ...
. It was part of a plan to monumentalize the entire hill, which became a large urban scene on several levels: along the river bank was the theater building, enclosed on both sides by the '' lapideus'' and ''marmoreus'' bridges; along the slope were several orders of terraces; and finally at the top of the hill was a Roman temple, the remains of which were discovered during some work at castel San Pietro. During the Middle Ages the building fell into disuse and thus into disrepair, so much so that on its remains a whole neighborhood arose that exploited the structure of the theater itself as a foundation, of which the church of Saints Siro and Libera still remains as evidence. The other buildings were demolished in the 19th century during archaeological excavations and the restitution of the complex that took place thanks to the work of Andrea Monga, a wealthy merchant who dabbled in archaeology. In 1904 the area was finally bought by the municipal administration, which continued the archaeological excavation work until 1914. Under the direction of Antonio Avena, the exhibition itinerary of the city's archaeological museum of the same name was transferred to the large monumental complex, which after restoration shows one of the best-preserved theaters in northern Italy. During the summer season, the building is still used as a theatrical space, and hosts the so-called Veronese theater summer, whose editions have been held continuously since 1948. ; Philharmonic Theater: The
Teatro Filarmonico The Teatro Filarmonico is the main opera theater in Verona, Italy, and is one of the leading opera houses in Europe. The Teatro Filarmonico is property of the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona. Having been built in 1716, and later rebuilt after ...
is Verona's main opera house, owned since its inception by the
Accademia Filarmonica di Verona The Accademia Filarmonica di Verona is an academy dedicated to the performance and study of music, founded in 1543 in Verona, Italy. At its founding it consisted of a group of young noblemen with humanistic and literary inclinations, who were also ...
; it is used by the Fondazione Arena di Verona as the home of the winter opera season. The building was built in the 18th century on the initiative of Marquis Scipione Maffei, as Verona needed a new and stable opera house: the decision was made to build an Italian-style structure, with vast stalls and overlapping tiers of boxes, and the most famous theatrical architect of the time, architect Bibbiena, was called in to design it. The theater was inaugurated on the evening of January 6, 1732, with
Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...
's pastoral drama ''
La fida ninfa ''La fida ninfa'' (''The Faithful Nymph'', RV 714) is an opera by Antonio Vivaldi to a libretto by Scipione Maffei. The opera was first performed for the opening of the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona on 6 January 1732.Michael Talbot The Vivaldi Co ...
''. The opera season became particularly famous but had to be interrupted in 1749, when a fire broke out in the theater, which had to be renovated. It suffered further serious damage toward the end of World War II, when it was hit by Anglo-American bombing; the building was rebuilt as similar as possible to its predecessor, however, the work was rather lengthy and lasted until 1975, when it was inaugurated with the opera '' Falstaff, or the three jokes'' by Antonio Salieri. The same complex houses the Maffeian Lapidary Museum, established in the 18th century, and is considered one of the oldest public museum institutions in Europe. ;Other theaters Other theaters of special significance in Verona include: * Teatro Nuovo, inaugurated in 1846, is a well-kept and elegant theater but far from the eighteenth-century splendor of the Filarmonico, presenting itself on the outside as an austere neoclassical building and on the inside as an Italian-style theater with three tiers of boxes; * Teatro Ristori, built around the mid-19th century in place of an earlier wooden theater space. For a long time it was one of the city's main theaters and, after a period of closure, it was reopened in 2012, after restoration work that made it a multipurpose space, so that it could host a variety of types of events, while respecting the original structure.


Bridges

; Ponte Pietra: The Pietra bridge is the oldest bridge in Verona, located near the
Roman theater Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
, in an area that from prehistoric times must have featured a ford, a crucial meeting point between different communication routes to which the city's birth is due. A first wooden bridge was put in place during the construction of the Via Postumia in 148 B.C. at the same spot where the ford was, later replaced by the stone one, of which the two left arches, made of '' opus quadratum'', have come down to us intact. In the imperial age it underwent a major restoration during which the depiction of a river deity was placed on the keystone ashlar of the second left arch. Much more troubled was the life of the monument in the medieval centuries, when the three right arches suffered damage and partial collapse due to the flooding of the
Adige River The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the prov ...
. In 1298 the
Lord of Verona The Lords of Verona ruled the city from 1260 until 19 October 1387 and for ten days in 1404. The lordship was created when Mastino I della Scala was raised to the rank of ''capitano del popolo'' from that of ''podestà''. His descendants, the Scalig ...
Alberto della Scala had the cityward tower restored and the adjacent archway rebuilt, while in 1508 the City Council commissioned Fra' Giocondo to oversee the reconstruction of the two arches that still needed repairing. However, the bridge suffered its most serious damage on April 24, 1945, when it was undermined and detonated by retreating German soldiers, a blast that left only the cityward archway intact. Superintendent of Monuments Piero Gazzola, supported by the entire public, chose to rebuild the bridge as it was and where it was, thanks to the technical collaboration of Veronese architect
Libero Cecchini Libero Cecchini (28 September 1919 – 20 April 2020) was an Italian architect. He specialized in restoration of monuments and the design of residential complexes. Biography Cecchini was born in Pastrengo into a family of stonemasons. He studied ...
and the specialized contribution of historians, archaeologists, engineers, university professors, and various other experts and technicians. ; Castelvecchio Bridge: The
Castelvecchio Bridge The Castel Vecchio Bridge (Italian: ''Ponte di Castel Vecchio'') or Scaliger Bridge (Italian: ''Ponte Scaligero'') is a fortified bridge in Verona, northern Italy, over the Adige River. The segmental arch bridge featured the world's largest spa ...
is a three-arched crenellated and fortified structure, an outstanding example of 14th-century military engineering, which was built by
Cangrande II della Scala Cangrande II della Scala (7 June 1332Gian Maria Varaninidella Scala, Cangrande ''DBI'', Volume XXXVII (1989), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani – 14 December 1359) was Lord of Verona from 1351 until his death. In 1351, after the ...
together with the castle of the same name, of which it is a part. With its bold structure it was placed in a strategic position in relation to the castle, on the side of the keep of the fortress and dividing the two main courts. The bridge's sturdiness enabled it to pass through five centuries of history unscathed until the French, following the Treaty of Lunéville, occupied the city in 1802 and decided to chop off the tower on the country side and remove the battlements. It suffered more serious impairment during World War II when, like all the other bridges in the city, it was blown up by the retreating Germans. At the end of the war public opinion pushed for the reconstruction of the bridge, as one of the main identity symbols of the city, so the superintendent a Piero Gazzola decided also in this case, as with
Ponte Pietra The Ponte Pietra ( Italian for "Stone Bridge"), is a Roman arch bridge crossing the Adige River in Verona, Italy. The bridge was completed in 100 BC, and the Via Postumia from Genoa to Aquileia passed over it. It is the oldest bridge in ...
, to restore it to its pre-blast condition rather than build a bridge from scratch. The reconstruction project was drawn up by engineer Alberto Minghetti and architect
Libero Cecchini Libero Cecchini (28 September 1919 – 20 April 2020) was an Italian architect. He specialized in restoration of monuments and the design of residential complexes. Biography Cecchini was born in Pastrengo into a family of stonemasons. He studied ...
, supported by a team of specialists. ; Other bridges Other bridges of special significance in Verona include: * Chievo Dam Bridge is an eight-arch dam located upstream of the city, also serving as a pedestrian bridge. The structure was built in the 1920s for the purpose of raising the water level of the Adige River so that it could enter the Camuzzoni Canal, which begins its course there. The canal is then essential for supplying the hydroelectric power plants and factories that were built during the early industrialization of Verona; * Ponte del Risorgimento is a bridge built near the Catena tower to celebrate the centenary of the Unification of Italy. It was designed by the well-known engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, who designed a structure with a continuous
beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of variable section and shape, which is why the side walls have a double-curved surface, called a
hyperbolic paraboloid In geometry, a paraboloid is a quadric surface that has exactly one axis of symmetry and no center of symmetry. The term "paraboloid" is derived from parabola, which refers to a conic section that has a similar property of symmetry. Every plane ...
in geometry, a recurring feature in much of his architecture. The
piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...
, clad in local stone, are shaped like rostrums so as to effectively counteract the action of floods; * Ponte della Vittoria is a structure designed by architect Ettore Fagiuoli and engineer Ferruccio Cipriani. It owes its name to the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, a victory that led to the defeat of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
in World War I. The monumental three-arched bridge features at its ends four bronze equestrian sculptural groups, symbolizing victory, created by Mario Salazzari.


Libraries

Libraries of particular note in Verona include: * Chapter Library, one of the oldest and best-known ecclesiastical institutions and libraries in the world, famous because illustrious figures have studied there and because it possesses manuscripts of great importance, including the Ursicinus Codex, which was produced in the library in 517 (making it the oldest library in the world still in operation), and the Veronese Riddle, which would represent a possible birth certificate of the vernacular in Italy; *Arturo Frinzi Central Library, home since 1987 to the humanities-economics-legal branch of the
University of Verona The University of Verona ( it, Università degli Studi di Verona) is a university located in Verona, Italy. It was founded in 1982 and is organized in 12 Departments. According to business newspaper ''Il Sole 24 Ore'', it is ranked as the best no ...
, is located in the church of San Francesco di Paola, built together with the adjacent monastery in 1596; *Civic Library, established in 1792 and opened to the public ten years later. The larger building that housed it, the deconsecrated Church of St. Sebastian, was completely destroyed, except for the bell tower, by aerial bombing during World War II. The new, modern building was designed by Pier Luigi Nervi and opened on June 2, 1980.


Military architecture


Castles

; Castelvecchio: Castelvecchio, erected in the 14th century by the Lord of Verona
Cangrande II della Scala Cangrande II della Scala (7 June 1332Gian Maria Varaninidella Scala, Cangrande ''DBI'', Volume XXXVII (1989), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani – 14 December 1359) was Lord of Verona from 1351 until his death. In 1351, after the ...
, is the most impressive monument in Verona after the Roman amphitheater Arena. Originally called the castle of San Martino in Aquaro because of the church included inside (it assumed its present name only after two new castles, San Pietro and San Felice, were built on top of San Pietro hill), it is a vast military fortification with high defensive towers, which also had a residential purpose. The complex is divided into two parts by the imposing city walls: to the west is the Scaligeri residence, protected by a narrow courtyard with a double order of walls, at the center of which stands the castle's tallest tower, the keep, from whose side the three-arched fortified bridge of the same name launches out to the other side of the
Adige River The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the prov ...
; to the east, on the other hand, is the rectangular-plan major courtyard, originally intended as the Piazza d'Armi. The complex continued to serve its military function under the Venetian government, during the brief Napoleonic occupation, and finally under Austrian rule, when it was used as a barracks. After hosting the Verona trial of fascist leaders in January 1944 and being bombed during an Allied raid, Castelvecchio underwent a major restoration and museum set-up by renowned architect
Carlo Scarpa Carlo Scarpa (2 June 1906 – 28 November 1978) was an Italian architect, influenced by the materials, landscape and the history of Venetian culture, and by Japan. Scarpa translated his interests in history, regionalism, invention, and the tec ...
. The Castelvecchio museum is described as one of the most important works of postwar Italian museography, with valuable arrangements imitated many years later, and houses important collections of medieval, Renaissance, and modern art. ; Castel San Pietro: Castel San Pietro is located atop the hill of the same name, rising behind Verona's Roman theater and a short distance from the
Adige River The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the prov ...
and the Pietra Bridge. This hill is strategically located, so much so that it was the place where the prehistoric settlement of Verona developed, moved within the bend of the river only in Roman times. Precisely the importance of the position, dominant over the plain opening to the south, is the cause of the construction of numerous structures over the centuries: a temple was built there in Roman times; a '' castrum'' and the church of San Pietro in Castello were built there in the early Middle Ages; an imposing castle was built there at the end of the 14th century, commissioned by the
Visconti family Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...
, which was reinforced during Venetian rule, surviving until 1801, when Napoleon's troops had it demolished before handing the town over to the Austrians; finally, on the ruins of the earlier buildings, the Habsburg military barracks was built, currently being restored and fitted out to house a museum of the city. The nineteenth-century building recalls, with the presence of the stylized towers and battlements, the forms of medieval fortresses, integrating with the context through the use of building materials typical of historic Veronese construction and architectural elements that recall Romanesque architecture. The forecourt in front of castel San Pietro, which is very popular due to the presence of a large panoramic terrace overlooking the city, can be reached either by a staircase that unravels from the side of the
Roman theater Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
or by the
Verona funicular The Verona funicular ( it, Funicolare di Verona), also known as the San Pietro Castle funicular ( it, Funicolare di Castel San Pietro), is an incline lift in the Veronetta district of Verona, Italy. The lift previously operated as a funicular r ...
, built in the early 20th century. ;Other castles Other castles in Verona include: * Montorio Castle, a medieval fortress, stands on a hill near the hamlet of Montorio, east of Verona. The origins of the ''castrum'' date back to the 10th century, but major modifications were made in the 12th century and especially in the 14th century, under the rule of the Scaligeri, when it was strengthened and enlarged. In modern times it was abandoned and underwent some tampering in the 19th century, so it now appears incomplete; * Castel San Felice, an Austrian fort built in the 19th century, in place of which stood a castle commissioned by the
Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...
family in an elevated position north of the city. The complex is a fortified urban citadel with two bastions, built in two successive extensions, connected to but at the same time autonomous from the magistral walls.


City walls

; Roman Walls: The Roman walls of Verona were an important defensive curtain equipped with numerous monumental towers and gates, built in several successive construction phases starting from the late Republican age and continuing through the early Roman-Germanic kingdoms. The first phase of construction of the defenses started around the second half of the 1st century BC, following Verona's attainment of the rank of Roman '' municipium'', a second phase of renovation and enlargement of the city walls took place in the 3rd century at the urging of Emperor Gallienus, and finally in a final phase Theodoric the Great, on the beginnings of the 6th century, again strengthened the Roman city defenses, adding a second circle. Of the curtain walls that encircled the built-up area of Roman Verona few visible traces remain, although their layout is still very evident today as the historical fabric grew and developed by leaning against and reusing surviving portions of the walls. Of the late republican walls, in particular, only two sections of brick wall have been found, discovered between the Adige and
Porta Borsari Porta Borsari is an ancient Roman gate in Verona, northern Italy. It dates to the 1st century AD, though it was most likely built over a pre-existing gate from the 1st century BC. An inscription dating from emperor Gallienus' reign reports anoth ...
and in Via Leoncino, while more conspicuous remains of the imperial walls have been preserved, mainly in Piazza Mura di Gallieno. Of the curtain wall erected by Theodoric, on the other hand, conspicuous ruins remain visible in Via Diaz, in the alleys S. Matteo and del Guasto, in Via S. Cosimo, Leoncino and Amanti streets. Better preserved, however, are the two main gates,
Porta Borsari Porta Borsari is an ancient Roman gate in Verona, northern Italy. It dates to the 1st century AD, though it was most likely built over a pre-existing gate from the 1st century BC. An inscription dating from emperor Gallienus' reign reports anoth ...
and
Porta Leoni Porta Leoni (Gate of the Lions) is an ancient Roman gate in Verona, northern Italy. The gate was built during the Roman Republic by P. Valerius, Q. Caecilius, Q. Servilius and P. Cornelius, and restructured in imperial times. It was connected to ...
. ; Municipal walls: The municipal walls of Verona were defensive walls erected to the south of the historic center in the medieval age, near the Adigetto, of which ample traces remain visible along Via Pallone and inside Castelvecchio, while little evidence remains of the various gates that opened in the curtain wall due to the works that led to the enlargement of the fornixes. They were built starting in the 12th century and strengthened during the rule of Ezzelino III da Romano, when they attained a more accomplished arrangement consisting of a wall-antemural-ditch system, thus a type of fortification based on the concept of gradual defense. With the enlargement of the magistral curtain wall carried out by
Cangrande I della Scala Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...
, it slowly came to lose its strategic importance, and this extraordinary historical relic of Veronese military architecture was transformed over the centuries into a logistical system of military buildings. The system of military buildings is similar to a large arsenal with linear development, in which the buildings took on different purposes: barracks, hospital, powder magazine, mill, granary, bakery, stable, and warehouse. The ideal center of the great military system became the palace of the Grand Guard, whose vast portico would be used to review troops while the main floor would house the military academy, although it was never finished. ; Scaliger walls: The Scaliger walls of Verona were a curtain wall, the hillside portion of which still survives, built during the rule of the Della Scala family, Lords of Verona in the 13th and 14th centuries. The walls were commissioned by
Cangrande I della Scala Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...
to the architect Calzaro, as an inscription dated January 1325 informs, who thus had the city's fortifications expanded after the first interventions carried out by
Alberto I della Scala Alberto I della Scala (died 3 September 1301) was lord of Verona from 1277, a member of the Scaliger family. The son of Jacopino della Scala, he was ''podestà'' of Mantua in 1272 and 1275. In 1277, after the assassination of his brother Mastino I ...
between 1287 and 1289. Due to this radical intervention, all the ancient and populous suburban neighborhoods were able to dismantle their individual defenses, becoming definitively part of the city's fabric, defended by mighty walls that conferred great prestige on Verona. Two centuries later, during the rule of the Serenissima, the previous curtain wall was reinforced through the construction of thick scarp walls and the building of several bastions, circular and polygonal, making the fortifications more suitable for the introduction of gunpowder.. In the 19th century there was a further restoration of the Scaliger hill wall by the Austrian ''Genie Direction'', with the removal of part of the battlements and the lowering of the towers, yet the medieval fortifications were not altered, and they survive in similar forms to the original ones and are in a good state of preservation. ; Venetian walls: The Venetian walls of Verona were an important defensive curtain wall equipped with numerous bastions and monumental gates, commissioned by the Venetian Republic to adapt the previous Scaliger curtain wall to the introduction of gunpowder, given Verona's strategic importance. It was particularly the war of the League of Cambrai that demonstrated that the old walls were no longer sufficient and that a complete overhaul of the defensive system was necessary. This was carried out starting in 1530 on the plans of the well-known Veronese architect Michele Sanmicheli when he officially assumed the appointment of superintendent of the military factories of Verona, a position he held until his death, while at the same time carrying out a harmonious and functional renewal of the city's urban structure. Sanmicheli bequeathed to the city a vast and articulated bastioned wall as well as the monumental gates of San Zeno,
Palio Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
and Nuova, defined by Giorgio Vasari as among the most beautiful in Italy. At the beginning of the 19th century, during the Napoleonic wars, all the bastions of the right Adige wall were demolished by French troops, except for those of San Francesco and Spagna, located near the river, upstream and downstream of the city: those lost were then rebuilt with a different technique during Austrian rule, a few years after the end of the war.. ; Austrian walls: The Austrian walls of Verona, also known as the magistral walls, are the system of bastioned curtains and monumental gates surrounding the city of Verona in their present state, forming part of a complex city defense system that also consists of a series of fortifications, entrenched camps, storehouses and barracks, both outside and inside the city. The final shape of the magisterial wall derives from the enlargement and restructuring, carried out in the 19th century during the Austrian rule of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, of the entire system of fortifications inherited from the medieval period, in the hilly area, and modern, in the plain area. The Scaliger and Venetian defensive walls had suffered major damage and demolitions during the Napoleonic wars and, in particular the Venetian bastions, therefore had to be restructured, also in accordance with the new military disciplines and tactics that had made obsolete the defensive criteria that had been previously pursued: the project and works were entrusted in 1831 by Field Marshal
Radetzky Johann Josef Wenzel Anton Franz Karl, Graf Radetzky von Radetz ( en, John Joseph Wenceslaus Anthony Francis Charles, Count Radetzky of Radetz; cz, Jan Josef Václav Antonín František Karel hrabě Radecký z Radče; sl, Janez Jožef Vencelj ...
to Franz von Scholl, the major representative of the new military architecture of the Austrian Empire. He applied, for the reconstruction of the magisterial wall, a conservative view of the ancient fortifications, which were reused to the greatest extent possible and minimized masonry work. The urban wall, in its final arrangement, has a development of more than 9 kilometers and occupies almost 100 hectares with its works, towers, washers, ramparts, moats, embankments, to which must be added the works of the external defense system, located in the flat countryside or on the hillside, that is, the 19 existing military forts (of the 31 that had been built), which formed the last and most modern system of city defense.


Gates

; Arco dei Gavi: The arch of the Gavi, located along the ancient Via Postumia just outside the Roman city walls, is a very rare case of an honorary and monumental arch for private use in Roman architecture; it was built around the middle of the first century to celebrate the '' gens Gavia''. During the Renaissance this was one of the most highly prized of Verona's antiquities, partly due to the presence of the signature of a Vitruvius, evoking the well-known Roman architect and author of the treatise ''
De architectura (''On architecture'', published as ''Ten Books on Architecture'') is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect and military engineer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus, as a guide f ...
''. The monument was then described by humanists and antiquarians, reproduced in detail and studied in its proportional ratios and decorations, and finally taken up as a model by architects and painters, such as
Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of th ...
, Sangallo, Serlio, Falconetto, Sanmicheli, as well as
Bellini Bellini is an Italian name, Italian surname, formed as a patronymic or plural form of Bellino (surname), Bellino. People *Family of Italian painters: **Jacopo Bellini (c. 1396–c. 1470), father of Gentile and Giovanni **Gentile Bellini (c. 1429 ...
and
Mantegna Mantegna is a surname. Notable people with the name include: * Andrea Mantegna ( – 1506), Italian painter * Gia Mantegna (born 1990), American actress * Joe Mantegna (born 1947), American actor See also * Mantegna Tarocchi The Mantegna Tarocc ...
. It had great influence on Veronese art in particular, being copied as an overall scheme for the realization of portals, altars, and chapels in the main churches of Verona. The arch no longer stands in its original position as it was demolished by the French Army Corps of Engineers in 1805, however, the numerous reliefs that had previously been produced made it possible for it to be reassembled by
anastylosis Anastylosis (from the Ancient Greek: ; , = "again", and = "to erect stela or building) is an archaeological term for a reconstruction technique whereby a ruined building or monument is restored using the original architectural elements to t ...
and restored in 1932, when it was relocated to the small square at the side of Castelvecchio. ; Porta Borsari:
Porta Borsari Porta Borsari is an ancient Roman gate in Verona, northern Italy. It dates to the 1st century AD, though it was most likely built over a pre-existing gate from the 1st century BC. An inscription dating from emperor Gallienus' reign reports anoth ...
, in antiquity known by the name ''Porta Iovia'' due to the presence of the nearby temple dedicated to Jupiter Lustral, is one of the gates that opened along the Roman walls of Verona. It constituted the main entrance to the Roman city, entering the important Via Postumia on the '' decumanus maximus'', corresponding to today's Corso Porta Borsari and Corso Cavour. The construction of the structure dates back to the second half of the 1st century B.C.,. however, over the centuries the gate has undergone several alterations and to date only the agro facade of the imperial age, dating from the first half of the 1st century, has survived. The façade, made of white Valpantena stone, has on the lower floor two fornixes framed in aedicules and set on a high plinth, and above these are two more floors, each with six windows framed by fine decoration. ; Porta Nuova: Porta Nuova (New Gate) is a monumental gateway erected between 1532 and 1540 to a design by architect Michele Sanmicheli as part of a major renovation of the city's southern walls; it was highly praised by Giorgio Vasari, who asserted that ''there had never before been another work of greater magnitude or better design.'' Situated between the bastion of the Holy Trinity and the bastion of the Reformed, it was in this area that Sanmicheli had the opportunity to enact a new urban planning conception of Verona, which had as its focal point precisely Porta Nuova, which gave access to a long straight street, the Via della Porta Nuova, which led directly, through the gates of the Bra, to the Arena and the heart of the city. The present form of the gate is similar to the original Sanmichelian one, although during the Austrian occupation it underwent considerable alterations, particularly in the facade towards the countryside, where the two lateral arches were added.''Notiziario della Banca Popolare di Verona'', Verona, 1984, n. 3. The work recovers some elements from the architecture of ancient Rome, especially from Veronese antiquities: the Arena of Verona, for the use of the Doric order and rustication; the arch of Jupiter Ammon, evoked through the use in the keystone of the central arch of the main facade of the face of Jupiter Ammon, a symbol alluding to power, royalty, and strength; the older facade of
Porta Leoni Porta Leoni (Gate of the Lions) is an ancient Roman gate in Verona, northern Italy. The gate was built during the Roman Republic by P. Valerius, Q. Caecilius, Q. Servilius and P. Cornelius, and restructured in imperial times. It was connected to ...
, for the use of the running dog frieze. ; Porta Palio: Porta Palio is a monumental gateway erected between 1550 and 1561 to a design by architect Michele Sanmicheli. This Sanmichelian gate is the most notable monument born of Renaissance research on the theme of triumph in the city gate, as well as being the most extreme architectural manifestation of the policy of ''munire et ornare''. The gate, inserted in an almost central position in the curtain wall between the bastion of San Bernardino and the bastion of Santo Spirito, has two very different elevations: the elevation towards the countryside takes on a monumental scale and an almost sumptuous approach, despite the fact that the gate was meant to fulfill a military function, so much so that the architect took as a reference the elevation of one of the terraces of the Roman theater in Verona; conversely, the elevation toward the city, articulated as a portico with five arched openings terminated by large projecting keystones and divided between them by pairs of Doric half-columns, is stern, the wall surface not lightened by decoration as in the façade toward the countryside and completely covered, including the half-columns, with rough ashlar. Such a stern rear façade contrasted with such a sumptuous front façade can be explained by the theory of architect and theorist Sebastiano Serlio: the gate was meant to mark the boundary between the city and the countryside, so from within the city it was meant to appear as the work of nature, while from the countryside it was meant to appear as the work of man's hand. ; Other gates Other gates of special significance in Verona include: * Portoni della Bra are a two-arched gate built along Verona's municipal walls in order to connect
Piazza Bra Piazza Bra, often shortened to Bra, is the largest piazza in Verona, Italy, with some claims that it is the largest in the country.Parks, TimVerona: Take the pulse in the piazza ''The Telegraph''. 5 January 2008. Accessed 28 September 2011. The ...
, where the
Roman amphitheater Roman amphitheatres are theatres – large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised seating – built by the ancient Romans. They were used for events such as gladiator combats, ''venationes'' (animal slayings) and executions. About 230 Ro ...
stands, to what was then the suburban countryside. The double-quadrant clock installed between the two fornices was donated by Count Antonio Nogarola and inaugurated in 1872; *
Porta Leoni Porta Leoni (Gate of the Lions) is an ancient Roman gate in Verona, northern Italy. The gate was built during the Roman Republic by P. Valerius, Q. Caecilius, Q. Servilius and P. Cornelius, and restructured in imperial times. It was connected to ...
is one of the gates that opened along Verona's Roman walls. Built in the first century B.C. and renovated in the following century, it connected the city's maximum hinge with the ''vicus Veronensium'', that is, with the branch of the Via Claudia Augusta that continued to '' Hostilia''. The inscription found above the median pylon during restoration work is considered the birth certificate of Roman Verona; * Porta San Giorgio, whose countryside-facing front was built between 1525 and 1526 to a design by
Giovanni Maria Falconetto Giovanni Maria Falconetto (c. 1468–1535) was an Italian architect and artist. He designed among the first high Renaissance buildings in Padua, the '' Loggia Cornaro'', a garden ''loggia'' for Alvise Cornaro built as a Roman doric arcade. Alon ...
, configured according to the classical triumphal arch scheme, but with the unusual binary juxtaposition of architraved side portals. The part facing the city, however, remained unfinished and was completed in the 19th century under Austrian rule; * Porta San Zeno, inserted in the curtain wall between the bastion of San Procolo and the bastion of San Zeno, was built in 1542 to a design by Veronese architect Michele Sanmicheli. The elevations take up the classical composition scheme of the triumphal arch, with a central round-arched major archway and two square side portals; * Porta Vescovo, sandwiched between the Maddalene bastion and the Santa Toscana washer, was built in the Venetian era in Renaissance style and was heavily renovated during the years of Austrian rule with additions in neo-Romanesque style, with a vaguely medieval appearance, particularly in the elevation facing the city.


Buildings

; Austrian Arsenal: The Franz Josef I arsenal was built in neo-Romanesque style around the middle of the 19th century by the Austrians, during the years of imperial rule over the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, thus at a time when Verona assumed the role of a strategic military fortress. The complex, located in axis with the
Castelvecchio bridge The Castel Vecchio Bridge (Italian: ''Ponte di Castel Vecchio'') or Scaliger Bridge (Italian: ''Ponte Scaligero'') is a fortified bridge in Verona, northern Italy, over the Adige River. The segmental arch bridge featured the world's largest spa ...
and consequently a short distance from the castle of the same name, fits coherently into the context of the Scaliger fortress, taking on almost the appearance of a medieval castle, with decorative details reminiscent of Romanesque architecture and materials typical of Verona's building style. The arsenal stands on a very large area and has a plan layout similar to that of the Arsenal in Vienna: the layout is organized along axes with large courtyards separating the nine buildings that contained warehouses, storerooms, and workshops surrounded by greenery, all included within a defensive enclosure. ; Provianda di Santa Marta: The Provianda of Santa Marta is a complex of industrial archaeology located in the Veronetta district, designed in the 19th century by the Austrian ''Genie Direction'' in neo-Romanesque style and built in the second half of the same century. The complex was originally intended for the production of bread and biscuits, storage and administration of other livelihoods for the imperial army stationed in northern Italy, while today it houses the departments and library of economics of the
University of Verona The University of Verona ( it, Università degli Studi di Verona) is a university located in Verona, Italy. It was founded in 1982 and is organized in 12 Departments. According to business newspaper ''Il Sole 24 Ore'', it is ranked as the best no ...
. The location that was chosen was based on the wide availability of space at this location, the proximity to the Verona Porta Vescovo station and the possibility of a direct connection to it, and the protection provided by the magistral walls.


Archaeological sites

Notable archaeological sites in Verona include: * Verona Forum, the center of the political and economic life of Roman Verona. Over the centuries this space was slowly transformed, the Roman buildings giving way to medieval and modern ones, thus taking on the connotation and current name of Piazza delle Erbe. The square was overlooked by the ''Capitolium'', the foundations of which can be visited located in the cellars of Maffei Palace, the ''Curia'', some structures of which remain inside a restaurant, and the ''Basilica'', evidence of which has been lost due to the heavy renovation of the ancient Jewish ghetto; * Domus of Castelvecchio, a ''
domus In Ancient Rome, the ''domus'' (plural ''domūs'', genitive ''domūs'' or ''domī'') was the type of town house occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen during the Republican and Imperial eras. It was found in almost all the ma ...
'' from the Roman period, probably arranged on several levels of terraces between the Adige and the Via Postumia, which was found during the redevelopment of the garden at the center of which is the arch of the Gavi. The most interesting element, a mosaic floor, was removed during the archaeological excavations and is preserved inside the Castelvecchio Museum, while the rest of the building has been covered over; * Domus of Piazza Nogara, one of the best-preserved examples of private Roman buildings in Verona and northern Italy. It was built in the first century B.C. and renovated between the second and third centuries, when mosaics were added and are excellently preserved. The remains are located in the underground rooms of the headquarters of the Banca Popolare di Verona; * Roman villa of Valdonega, a Roman villa built in the 1st century in a suburban hillside area. Three rooms of the building have been preserved, overlooking a porticoed space, likely open to the garden; * Hypogeum of Santa Maria in Stelle, an underground structure built in the 3rd century that is difficult to interpret. It is unclear whether it served the function of a funerary complex, aqueduct, or nymphaeum, although from the next century it was adapted as an early Christian chapel for religious worship, remaining in use until the 12th century; * Lazzaretto of Verona, built in the 16th century and designed, according to Giorgio Vasari, by Veronese architect Michele Sanmicheli. It was placed in an isolated location accessible by river and completed in time for the terrible plague of 1630, which killed more than half of Verona's population. The complex is in a state of ruins and only the central temple remains intact, due to some explosions that occurred during World War II, when it was used as an explosives storehouse.


See also

* Verona * Verona defensive system


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Subject bar, portal1=Architecture, portal2=Italy Lists of monuments and memorials Lists of monuments and memorials in Italy Buildings and structures in Verona Verona