VERONA City guide
Add the city of star-crossed lovers onto an Italy cruise for the ideal alternative to Venice, says Katie McGonagle
V
erona has a lot to thank William Shakespeare for. Not only did he set two of his most famous plays here, forever associating it with the phrase ‘fair
Verona’ despite never setting foot on Italian soil, but he also sparked an obsession that still draws millions of visitors to this underrated city every year. They flock here in search of the ‘real’ Romeo and Juliet, captivated by theories that the story was based on two feuding families from the late Middle Ages, known as the Montecchis and the Cappellos. The names are just similar enough to Montague and Capulet for tourist guides to proudly proclaim Romeo’s House in the centre of the city and to encourage visitors to queue up for their fantasy moment on Juliet’s balcony. It’s largely wishful thinking, but while some come
you turn, there’s bound to be a landmark of some
in search of a tragic love story, they leave having
significance. Start with the Roman Arena, an
fallen for this seductive city. It’s not in the triumvirate
enormous amphitheatre built around 30 AD and,
of top-tier cities alongside Rome, Florence and
extraordinarily, still in use today for opera, rock and
Venice, but has more than enough to entertain for a
pop concerts. It’s also due to host the 2026 Winter
pre or post-cruise stay without the crowds.
Olympics opening ceremony.
Must-sees
– stopping to window shop at the likes of Gucci
Verona packs layer upon layer of history into a
and Dolce & Gabbana on this designer store-filled
remarkably small square footage, so wherever
street – to the bustling Piazza delle Erbe. Nowhere is
From there, it’s an easy stroll along Via Mazzini
Bottom row, from left: Piazza dei Signori; Palazzo Verona Hotel, NH Collection; local transport; Roman Arena; the best street for shopping
Verona’s jumble of architectural eras more apparent than in this market square, where a Roman statue of the Madonna sits atop a 14th-century fountain, overlooked by a baroque palace and a series of fresco-covered facades. If you want a really good view, try climbing the stairs (or take the lift, if an 84m-high tower sounds a bit of a stretch) of the Torre dei Lamberti, which sits at one corner of the square offering an ideal vantage point on the busy market stalls below. Just a few steps away, Piazza dei Signori pays tribute to another of Verona’s literary heroes: Dante
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