All SEE in Verona

The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a Catholic parish church in Verona, officially called Chiesa del Cuore Immacolato di Maria in Italian. In the city, it is also widely known as the Votive Temple, because it was built after a solemn wartime vow. The dedication to the Immaculate Heart of Mary connects the church with Marian devotion. Its religious identity is closely linked to the dramatic years of the Second World War, when Verona suffered bombing, fear, and uncertainty, and the local Church asked for protection through a public vow. The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary stands at Piazzale XXV Aprile 8, directly in front of Verona Porta Nuova railway station. Its position makes it one of the easiest churches to reach in Verona, especially for visitors arriving by train, airport shuttle, regional bus, urban bus, or taxi. The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was designed by Paolo Rossi De Paoli and constructed between 1950 and 1952. It opened for worship on 8 December 1952, became a parish on 25 December 1953, and was consecrated in May 1958 by Bishop Giovanni Urbani. The church belongs to the Diocese of Verona and the Vicariate Read more [...]

Palazzo del Capitanio, also known as Palazzo del Tribunale or Palazzo di Cansignorio, is a beautiful palace in Verona, located in Piazza dei Signori, between Palazzo della Ragione and Palazzo del Podesta.   SHORT HISTORY The construction of the palace was commissioned by Cansignorio della Scala and probably completed in 1363. Originally, the building was a fortified palace, austere and spartan, with three large towers at the corners, of which only one still stands. The current appearance of the palace dates back to the 16th century, when, during the Venetian domination, the palace was chosen as the seat of the Captain and his offices. The Republic of Venice ordered various rearrangements of the building – the facade was redesigned in Renaissance style and a small theater was open in one of the palace halls. The theater was subsequently closed and the hall was used for other purposes. During the Austrian domination, the building was used as a judicial court. After the Veneto region, including Verona, became part of the Kingdom of Italy, restorations of the palace were planned, and conducted beginning with 1880. In 1882, the remaining tower was restored, the windows of the upper floors were arranged, and the Read more [...]

Palazzo della Gran Guardia is an imposing palace located in the historical center of Verona, in Piazza Bra, close to the Arena.   SHORT HISTORY The birth certificate of the palace was signed on September 26, 1609, with a formal request from Captain Mocenigo to Nicolò Donà, the Doge of Venice. For the construction of the structure, it was chosen a location close to the walls of the Citadel, in order to have a wall already built, and to reduce costs and work times. On December 30, 1609, the authorization was granted by the Doge, but in 1614 the budget for the construction was exhausted and the works were suspended. Only in 1808, the works resumed, after almost two hundred years of inactivity. The construction was entrusted to the architect Giuseppe Barbieri, who will also build Palazzo della Gran Guardia Nuova (Palazzo Barbieri), now the city’s Town Hall. However, the works began only in 1818, under the rule of the Habsburg Empire. In 1848, the works, still in progress, were stopped because the building was used by the Austrian army during the first war of independence. Palazzo della Gran Guardia was finally completed in 1853. The palace is now used Read more [...]

The Church of Santo Stefano is a Catholic church in Verona, located in the Veronetta district, about 300 meters away from the Church of San Giorgio in Braida and Porta San Giorgio, and about 50 meters away from Ponte Pietra.   SHORT HISTORY A first Paleo-Christian building was erected here at the beginning of the 5th century. Of this primitive construction, only the general layout and the southern wall remain. During the reign of Theodoric the Great, at the beginning of the 6th century, the building was partially destroyed, but then promptly rebuilt. The stone episcopal chair preserved in the church and the remains of some Veronese bishops, led to the assumption that, in the early Middle Ages, the church was the bishopric of the diocese. In the 11th century, the crypt of the church was added. Unlike many Veronese buildings, Santo Stefano was only partially damaged during the earthquake of 1117. The subsequent reconstruction in Romanesque style involved changes to the apse, the windows and the facade, which was moved to include the narthex. Between 1618 and 1621, the parish priest, Monsignor Varalli, commissioned the Varalli Chapel (or Chapel of the Innocents) built in Baroque style on the southern Read more [...]

The Church of San Giorgio in Braida is a church in Verona, dedicated to Saint George, located in the Borgo Trento district, not far from the homonymous city gate, Porta San Giorgio.   SHORT HISTORY The Church of San Giorgio in Braida was built in the Middle Ages. Although some historians believe that the church already existed in the 8th century, its official birth is placed in 1046, when the Veronese nobleman Pietro Cadalo, newly elected bishop of Parma and subsequently antipope, decided to found a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint George. By 1051, the monastery was completed, and in 1052 the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III placed it under his protection. Between the 12th and 13th centuries, the monastery experienced a period of great economic and spiritual prosperity. Faint traces of the first ancient Romanesque building, probably rebuilt following the terrible earthquake of 1117, remain, such as the base of the bell tower visible on the left wall. In 1442, after a period of decline under the Della Scala family, the complex passed to the congregation of San Giorgio in Alga, which began the construction of today’s Renaissance church. Once the congregation was suppressed by Pope Clement XI, in Read more [...]

Porta San Giorgio, also known as Porta Trento, is one of the historic gates of Verona, located along the city’s old defensive walls on the left bank of the Adige River. It stands near Lungadige San Giorgio, close to the Church of San Giorgio in Braida and the northern edge of the historic center. The gate marked an important access point into Verona from the river’s left bank. Its location was strategic because it controlled a route connected with the northern approaches to the city, including the road toward Tyrol and the hilly defensive area above Verona. Porta San Giorgio is not only a city gate, but a military structure shaped by several historical periods. Its first phase belongs to the Scaliger fortifications, its Renaissance façade belongs to Venetian Verona, and its inner completion belongs to the Austrian period. Today, Porta San Giorgio is best understood as part of Verona’s defensive landscape. It can be combined with San Giorgio in Braida, the Adige riverfront, Ponte Pietra, the Roman Theatre area, and the northern hillside routes of Verona.     Short History of Porta San Giorgio The Scaliger Gate of the 14th Century The earliest Porta San Giorgio belonged to the Read more [...]

Palazzo del Podesta, also known as Palazzo del Governo (Government Palace) or Palazzo di Cangrande, is a medieval palace in Verona, located in Piazza dei Signori, between Loggia del Consiglio and Palazzo di Cansignorio.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo del Podesta was comissioned by the Scaligeri in the second half of the 13th century for Alberto I della Scala, who came to power in 1277. In 1311, his son, Cangrande I della Scala, took up residence in the palace. During the lordship of Cangrande I, many illustrious men found hospitality in the palace, including prominent personalities such as the poet Dante Alighieri and the painter Giotto di Bondone. Dante, exiled from Florence, stayed for a long time in the palace. In fact, Piazza dei Signori is also called by the locals Piazza Dante, and in the center of the square we can find the statue of the poet. With the fall of the Scala dynasty, the palace became, during the Venetian occupation, the seat of important magistrates. The palace also hosted the offices of the podesta (chief magistrate), from which took its name. Remodeled several times over the centuries, the palace was restored to its medieval appearance in the 1920s by Read more [...]

Built in Roman times, Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge) is the oldest bridge on the Adige River, in Verona.   SHORT HISTORY A first wooden bridge was built on this place during the construction of Via Postumia, in 148 BC. Subsequently, the wooden bridge was replaced by the stone one. In the following centuries, the bridge was damaged many times, mainly due to the flooding of the Adige River, in particular in 1007, in 1153, in 1232 and again in 1239. In 1298, the Lord of Verona Alberto della Scala had the tower on the western bank of the river restored and the adjacent arch rebuilt, while in 1368, his great-grandson, Cansignorio della Scala, built an aqueduct on the same bridge that supplied water to several houses in the historic center of the city. During the same time, the bridge was equipped with a second tower on the eastern bank of the river. In 1508, the City Council asked the architect Fra’ Giocondo to supervise the reconstruction of the Roman bridge, but the work began only in 1520, after the death of the architect, and was finished one year later. After a few centuries of relative tranquility, in 1801, the tower Read more [...]

Loggia del Consiglio, also known as Loggia of Fra’ Giocondo, is a Renaissance style palazzo located in Piazza dei Signori, in Verona, adjacent to Palazzo del Podesta. The palace is currently used as the seat of the City Council.   SHORT HISTORY Although the construction of the loggia was planned by the Municipality of Verona at the beginning of the 15th century, to be used for the meetings of the local council, the work on the building began only in 1476. The design and construction of the loggia lasted a long time. The works practically finished in 1492, but most of the decorations were added later. Today, the palace is also known as the Loggia di Fra’ Giocondo, but only for an error appeared in the 19th century. Fra Giocondo was an architect and a Veronese monk, also very active in cities like Rome and Paris, to whom the work was erroneously attributed.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE Loggia del Consiglio has marble columns built with marble from all over the world, even with green marble from China, thanks to the Silk Road trade. The facade had two bronze high-reliefs depicting the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin of the Annunciation, which Read more [...]

Piazza dei Signori, also known as Piazza Dante, is a beautiful square located in the historical center of Verona, adjacent to Piazza delle Erbe.   SHORT HISTORY The square was formed in the Middle Ages, and was gradually defined by the palaces that were built around it. The first building, erected near the end of the 12th century, was Palazzo della Ragione, followed between the 13th and 14th centuries by Palazzo del Capitanio and Palazzo del Podesta, both built by the powerful family of Della Scala, Lords of Verona. From the beginning, the square assumed political and administrative functions, and became the most important place in the city during the Venetian domination. Around the middle of the 17th century, a fountain was built by Pietro Tedesco in the center of the square. However, by the turn of the century, it was decided that the fountain was insufficient to decorate such a monumental square, and it was demolished. In 1865, a new monument was built in the center of the square – the statue of the Italian poet Dante Aligheri, work of the sculptor Ugo Zannoni.   ARCHITECTURE In the southern corner of the square, we can find Palazzo della Ragione, Read more [...]

Arco dei Gavi is a monument in Verona, located just outside the walls of the ancient Roman city. The arch was built in the 1st century to celebrate the gens Gavia, an important Roman family of Verona.   SHORT HISTORY The arch was commissioned by the Gavia family to the architect Lucius Vitruvius Cerdo, and built in the last years of the reign of Augustus or in the first years of the reign of Tiberius, around the middle of the 1st century. Erected along Via Postumia as an isolated monument, it was later stripped of the decorative elements and incorporated into the new municipal walls built in the 12th century. Around that time, the arch changed its function and was used as a city gate, being called the Gate of San Zeno (Porta di San Zeno). During the Scaligeri domination, the arch became part of the defensive system of Castelvecchio, built in the second half of the 14th century. During the Venetian domination, which financed the construction of the Venetian walls, the structure lost its defensive function. In 1550, the Venetian Republic ceded the area around the building to private individuals. The new owner decided to free the monument by Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide The Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricolare is the main Catholic church of Verona and the cathedral of the Diocese of Verona. It is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and stands in Piazza Duomo, in the northern part of the historic center. The Verona Cathedral is not an isolated monument. It is the central building of the Cathedral Complex, which also includes San Giovanni in Fonte, Sant’Elena, the Canons’ cloister, archaeological remains, the bishop’s residence and the Capitular Library. This makes the site one of the most historically dense religious areas in Verona. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricolare preserves several architectural phases. Roman remains, early Christian structures, Romanesque masonry, Gothic interior changes, Renaissance artworks and later restorations all survive in the same complex. The result is a monument connected to more than 1,600 years of Christian history in Verona.     Short History of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricolare (Verona Cathedral) Roman and Early Christian Origins The area of the present Cathedral Complex was already occupied during the Roman period. Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of private villas, thermal baths and probably smaller sacred buildings. This urban area later Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide The Church of San Fermo Maggiore is a church located in the historical center of Verona, dedicated to Saint Fermus, a Christian martyr under Emperor Maximian.   SHORT HISTORY According to tradition, Saints Fermus and Rusticus were martyred in Verona in 304 AD, and the locals built a church in their honor in the 5th or 6th century. However, the first traces of this church date back to the 8th century. In 755, the bishop of Verona, Annone, who is now venerated as a saint, received the relics of Saints Fermus and Rusticus and placed them under the altar of the church dedicated to them. Between 1065 and 1143, the Benedictines completely restructured the complex and built two churches in Romanesque style: the lower one to preserve the relics, and the upper one for the daily celebrations. They also started the construction of the bell tower, which was completed only in the 13th century. In 1261, the Franciscans took the place of the Benedictines and rebuilt the upper church. The work was completed around 1350. In the following centuries, inside the church were added chapels, altars and funeral monuments. In 1759, the relics were placed in Read more [...]

Ponte della Vittoria (Bridge of Victory) is a bridge in Verona, built across the Adige river. The bridge owes its name to the victory of Vittorio Veneto, a battle that led to the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the First World War.   SHORT HISTORY In 1925, the Municipality of Verona announced a national competition for the construction of a monumental bridge to celebrate the Battle of Vittorio Veneto and the memory of the Veronese victims. The competition, attended by numerous designers, was won by the architect Ettore Fagiuoli and the engineer Ferruccio Cipriani. The construction began on November 4, 1928, and was completed in 1931. The inauguration took place on November 4, 1929. The construction site of the bridge saw the destruction of some surrounding buildings. On the night of April 25, 1945, the bridge was destroyed by the retreating Germans, along with all the other bridges in Verona, including Ponte di Castelvecchio. Only the right arch of the bridge remained intact, which was used by the Allies as a support for the construction of an iron bridge, indispensable for continuing the pursuit of the German troops. In 1947, Ettore Fagiuoli redesigned the bridge, and on August 29, Read more [...]

Ponte di Castelvecchio, also known as Ponte Scaligero, is a medieval bridge in Verona, on the Adige River, part of the fortress of Castelvecchio.   SHORT HISTORY The bridge was built between 1354 and 1356 under the lordship of Cangrande II della Scala, to ensure the fortress of Castelvecchio with an escape route to the Adige Valley, in case of a riot by one of the enemy factions within the city. The structure of the bridge remained untouched for about five centuries, until 1802, when the French, following the Treaty of Lunéville, demolished the tower on the southern side and eliminated the battlements. In 1820, the battlements were reconstructed by the Austrians on the orders of Emperor Francis I of Austria. The bridge was destroyed on April 24, 1945, by the retreating Germans, along with all the other bridges in Verona. In the post-war period, the Municipality of Verona decided to rebuild it together with other important monuments lost during the Second World War. For the reconstruction project, the architect Piero Gazzola collaborated with the engineer Alberto Minghetti for the technical part and with the architect Libero Cecchini for the artistic part. The work began at the end of 1945, Read more [...]

Torre dei Lamberti is a medieval tower in Verona, 84 meters high, located in Piazza delle Erbe, in the historical center of the city.   SHORT HISTORY The tower was built by the powerful Lamberti family starting with the 11th century. The lower part of the tower, from terracotta and tuff blocks, dates back to that period. In 1140, the structure became a civic tower and the first bell, Rengo, was installed. The bell sounded to summon the Arengo (City Council) and for calling the army in an emergency. In 1272, a second bell, called Marangona, was added. The Marangona sounded a warning in the event of fire and it marked the hours of the day, thereby regulating the city life. In 1311, the third bell was installed, called Consolata. In May 1403, the lightning struck the top of the tower, and the restoration work began only in 1448, and lasted until 1464. In the same period, the tower was elevated to 84 meters. In 1779, there was the proposal to place a large clock on the tower, but the watchmaker who was comissioned to make the clock died before starting the work. Only in 1798, the count Giovanni Sagramoso Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Basilica of Santa Anastasia is an important Catholic church in Verona, located in the northern area of the historical center of the city, in Piazza Santa Anastasia. Although the church is named after the Dominican Saint Peter Martyr, it is better known as Santa Anastasia due to an ancient Arian cult building which stood on this place, dedicated to Anastasia of Sirmium.   SHORT HISTORY The origins of the Church of Santa Anastasia are very ancient. It is believed that already in the Longobard era, where the current building stands, there were two Christian churches that, according to tradition, were built at the behest of the Ostrogoth King Theodoric. One was dedicated to Saint Remigius of Reims and the other to Saint Anastasia, a Christian martyr under Diocletian, whose cult spread from Constantinople to Verona around the 8th century. The oldest information about this structure is contained in a diploma dated October 2, 890, issued by the King of Italy Berengario I. A second mention of the church is found in a document dated May 12, 1082. Subsequently, a decree of 1087 lists the numerous possessions of the church. The Dominican friars arrived in Verona around Read more [...]

Palazzo Barbieri, also known as Palazzo della Gran Guardia Nuova, is a Neoclassical palace in Verona, located in Piazza Bra, near the famous Arena di Verona. Today, the palace houses the city’s Town Hall.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Barbieri was designed by the architect Giuseppe Barbieri, who was also the author of the Monumental Cemetery of Verona, and also participated in the construction of Palazzo della Gran Guardia. The construction of the palace began in 1836 and was completed in 1848. During the Austrian occupation, the building was used mainly for military purposes, as the headquarters of the Imperial Royal Command of the City. After the region of Veneto became part of the Kingdom of Italy, the palace was chosen as the seat of the Municipality of Verona. On the night of February 23, 1945, in one of the most destructive bombings of World War II, Palazzo Barbieri was hit and badly damaged. After the war, it was quickly rebuilt and enlarged, after a design by the architects Raffaele Benatti and Guido Troiani, and inaugurated in March 1950.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The palace has an imposing facade, with a pronaos set on a central block, delimited by tall Corinthian Read more [...]

Piazza Bra is the largest square in Verona, located in historical center of the city. The most important structure in the square is, without doubt, the famous Roman amphitheater known as the Arena di Verona. The Arena, located in the northern part of the square, was built in the 1st century AD. Still used today, the Arena is one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind and the world’s eighth-largest Roman amphitheater.   SHORT HISTORY The area began to take the shape of a square only in the first half of the 16th century, when the architect Michele Sanmicheli completed the Honorij Palace (Palazzo degli Honorij), which delimited the western side of the future square. The first attempt to transform the dirt road into a square belonged to the mayor Alvise Mocenigo, who wanted to create a meeting place for the Veronese bourgeoisie. He inaugurated the first part of the Liston, the paved sidewalk that flanks the Bra Square, in 1770. On March 13, 1782, Francesco Menegatti presented a project for the definitive paving of the Liston and, after his intervention, the Bra became the favorite place for afternoon walks. Palazzo della Gran Guardia, began by the Venetians Read more [...]

Porta San Zeno is a monumental gate in Verona, located in Piazza Bacanal, about 270 meters from the impressive Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore.   SHORT HISTORY The gate was designed by the Veronese architect Michele Sanmicheli in 1541, upon returning from his journey in the eastern Mediterranean. Two inscriptions on the front and back of the gate, both dated 1542, suggest that its construction was extremely short, ending in less than a year. The gate was one of the two main entry points to the city, along with Porta San Giorgio, for the visitors who came from the Brenner Pass, a mountain pass through the Alps which forms the border between Italy and Austria.   ARCHITECTURE The gate is inserted in the wall delimited to the north by the Bastion of San Procolo and to the south by the Bastion of San Zeno, and is located near the latter. Porta San Zeno has a square plan, with two floors, a large central vaulted entrance and a pavilion roof. The side walkway and the guardroom are located laterally, while other rooms can be found on the upper floor. In the past, the gate was equipped with wooden drawbridges, which were Read more [...]