It takes a lot for a city in Italy to stand out for its architecture. After all, the country is home to some of the most famous buildings in the world, including the Colosseum, Florence Cathedral, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
However, Verona still manages to be an architectural standout in a country full of beautiful places. Famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Verona is a Renaissance jewel full of beautiful buildings and historic monuments that make it a fantastic place to visit. With 2000 years of architectural innovation available to see within the core of this ancient city, you can spend days just admiring the beautiful buildings here.
Drop off your unneeded bags at a Verona luggage storage and take a wander through this charming town to see some of the architecture that makes it such a great place to visit. You’ll find beautiful buildings just about everywhere you go in this charming location.
Verona Amphitheater
The huge Roman amphitheater of Verona is hard to miss. Built in A.D. 30, it’s older than Rome’s Colosseum, and while not as big, it is better preserved. The fact that this arena has stood for 2000 years is a testament to the engineering and architectural skill of the Romans who built it. And while the arena no longer hosts the gruesome gladiatorial games Roman audiences loved so much, it is still used for its original purpose in some sense.
This is one of the major concert venues in the city, hosting some of the biggest touring acts in world music. It also hosts the Verona Opera Festival every year, one of the world’s biggest and best-loved festivals, which provides plenty of violence and bloodshed, even if it is only simulated.
The white limestone façade that once covered the amphitheater has long since been stolen, but that makes it easier to admire the series of brick arches that support the massive structure. One of the icons of the city, this is the perfect place to begin your tour of the architecture of Verona.
Ponte Pietra
In ancient cities like Verona, architecture can tell a long and fascinating story at a single glance. This stone bridge does exactly that, with its mix of architectural styles telling the story of the rise and fall of local powers and the conflicts that have shaped the city.
The bridge is Roman in origin, but it’s not easy to detect the Roman influence on this bridge since it has been reconstructed so many times. The bridge collapsed in 1007, again in 1153, and again in the 12th century, and each time was rebuilt according to the engineering knowledge and architectural sensibilities of the time.
This most recent version of the bridge only dates back to 1959, as the previous version was almost destroyed during World War II. And each of these periods of rebuilding has left its own mark on this bridge, making it a great place to sample the history of the city.
Piazza Bra
The largest public square in Verona, Piazza Bra functions as the communal living room of the city. That’s a position it has held for centuries, and so the square is home to some of the grandest and most iconic buildings in all of Verona.
Along with the impressive Roman arena, the piazza contains Palazzo Barbieri and Palazzo Gran Guardia. So in a single square, you can see authentic Roman architecture along with the grand palaces of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Torre dei Lamberti
Rising to a height of 84 meters, this tower is an architectural icon of the city and a fine example of what was considered state-of-the-art engineering at the time it was built.
The tower dates back to 1172. However, it was damaged by lightning in the 15th century, and so extensive reconstruction work was carried out at this time, and Renaissance flourishes were added to the medieval construction. The large clock, on the other hand, is an 18th-century addition, making this building, like so many in Verona, a portmanteau of differing architectural styles.
Casa di Giulietta
Real or fake? Juliet’s house straddles that fine line and gives you plenty to think about when pondering authenticity in history.
This is the house where Juliet of the famous play Romeo and Juliet lived. Except Juliet was a fictional character, and Shakespeare probably never visited Italy himself.
Still, the house is real enough. Dating back to the 13th century, it’s a good example of the Gothic architecture popular in Verona at the time. The house was owned by the aristocratic Capello family, and since the name is close to the Capulet name that Juliet supposedly had, the house became known as the house where Juliet and her family lived.
The balcony scene where Juliet and Romeo profess their love for one another is one of the most famous in the play, which is why a balcony was added to the house in the 20th century. The balcony looks ancient because it was made out of a 17th-century stone sarcophagus. All these layers of truth and falsehood make the Casa di Giulietta one of the most architecturally interesting buildings in Verona.
The architecture of Verona
Verona is a fascinating place for anyone to visit, but especially for people with an interest in architecture. Along with the buildings listed above, Verona also has an impressive ancient cathedral and several well-preserved churches that are great to explore. With examples of every architectural style from Imperial Rome up to the present day, Verona is absolutely packed with beautiful and historic buildings that will take you on a tour of European architecture over the past two millennia.Leave your bags behind at a convenient luggage storage and take a walk through the center of the city to experience this rich architectural legacy for yourself.
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