Five ideas for guided tours in Verona

• Piazza dei Signori

  The historical heart of the town is located around Piazza dei Signori, which was created in the Middle Ages during the construction of the Della Scala family’s palaces. This family ruled the town for 125 years from the middle of the 13th century. The square is lined with magnificent houses and palaces, under arcades decorated with beautiful coats of arms.
  Among these buildings you will find
  :- The Loggia del Consiglio, a sumptuous building completed in 1493. It has marble columns from all over the world.
  – The Palazzo della Ragione, also known as the Palazzo del Comune, built in the 12th century, adjoins the Piazza delle Erbe. Here stands the Torre dei Lamberti, the highest tower in Verona. Its summit gives access to a beautiful panorama of the city. –
  – The Palazzo del Podestà, built by the Scaligeri family at the end of the 12th century, was the residence of the lords of the city. At the top of the building you can see the typical ghibelline battlements (with a rounded swallowtail shape) and a large portal.
  In the center of the square stands the statue of the famous poet and politician Dante Alighieri, welcomed during his exile from Florence.

• The Castel Vecchio

  The residence of the lords, built in 1356, was both a home for the Scaligari family and a fortress before becoming a barracks for the military. The Castel Vecchio is an emblematic building of the city, easily identifiable with its red bricks, inner courtyard, towers and ramparts offering a view of the horizon. The castle has a museum dedicated to Gothic art but also to the paintings of Veronese artists from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. The Scaliger Bridge is adjacent to the Castel. It spans the Adige river and is decorated with three beautiful arches made of marble basements. Destroyed by the Germans during the Second World War, it was rebuilt identically in 1951.

• The Arena of Verona

  One of the largest and probably best preserved Roman amphitheaters in the world is in Verona. The arenas were built in the 1st century AD during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Today it can accommodate 22,000 people and is 150 meters long and 130 meters wide. Its masterful architecture is the result of a harmonious combination of brick, flint and pink marble blocks. The Arena of Verona still retains its entertainment functions by hosting shows, operas and music concerts. From the top of the 44 rows of bleachers, a breathtaking view of the city and its surrounding landscape awaits you.

• Giusti Gardens

  It is at the foot of a hill east of the old town of Verona that you will discover the beautiful the Giusti gardens. They were completed in 1570 inside a palace of the same name. The entire park is a typical example of Italian Renaissance gardens. Its upper part is formed by a row of cypress trees. One of the trees is famous for being more than 600 years old, and the German poet Goethe liked to meditate by it. A staircase leads to the belvedere where you can enjoy the landscape. Below, you can take a quiet stroll along the alleys where flowerbeds, fountains and statues follow one another. You will even find the oldest vegetal labyrinth in Europe.

• Piazza Brà

  Verona’s main square is considered by some to be the largest in the country. Facing the Arena and just a stone’s throw from Palazzo Barbieri, the current city hall, it is easily accessible. It is surrounded by the most important attractions of the city, the main cafés and restaurants, where you can come and taste the delicious Italian cuisine. Since the 12th century, Piazza Brà has been the center of the city, hosting an imposing cattle market. In 1633, it became the focal point of more than 200 exhibitors, fruit, vegetable and meat traders. A marble boulevard crosses it in the length. This square will be an ideal meeting point to start your visit with a local Verona guide.