Arena di Verona is a Roman amphitheater located in the historical center of Verona, in Piazza Bra. The Verona Arena is one of the best preserved amphitheaters in the world, thanks to the systematic restorations carried out since the 16th century. TIP: If you want to visit the Verona Arena without spending a very long time in the waiting line (which, by the way, is always there), buy your skip-the-line ticket in advance, to ensure you have a fast track access. SHORT HISTORY OF ARENA DI VERONA Arena di Verona was built around the year 30 AD, in an area outside the city walls. In 265, the Roman Emperor Gallienus decided to built a new stretch of wall, 550 meters long, to finally include the Arena. The amphitheater was slowly abandoned in the following centuries, due to the affirmation of Christianity and the consequent end of the gladiatorial games. During the reign of Theodoric the Great, at the beginning of the 5th century, some shows were held in the Arena, and therefore many chronicles of the time attributed the construction of the amphitheater to him. However, the most serious damage to the amphitheater was done by the same Read more [...]
All Monuments in Verona
Porta San Giorgio
Porta San Giorgio, also known as Porta Trento, is a monumental gate in Verona, located in the northern part of the city, on the western bank of the Adige River. The name of the gate derives from nearby church of San Giorgio in Braida. SHORT HISTORY A first gate erected on this spot was commissioned by Cangrande I della Scala and built between 1321 and 1324 after a project by the architect Calzaro. In the 16th century, during the Venetian occupation, the gate was rebuilt as part of the reinforcement of the fortifications of Verona. The work began in 1525 and was completed one year later, in 1526, on a project traditionally attributed to Giovanni Maria Falconetto. However, the side facing the city remained unfinished and was only completed in 1840 by the Austro-Hungarians, under the direction of the Imperial Royal Office of Fortifications. ARCHITECTURE The facade of the gate facing the countryside, covered with polished white stone, resembling a triumphal arch, was built in Renaissance style. The composition is in Doric style, adorned with shields and commemorative plaques of the Venetian era. The 19th-century facade of the gate, facing the city, is covered with volcanic tuff, and Read more [...]
Ponte Pietra
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 [...]
Arco dei Gavi
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 [...]
Porta San Zeno
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 [...]
