What to see in Verona in 1 day on your own? If you have this question, then you are already mentally prepared to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Shakespeare's city of tragic love and its cultural heritage. And this heritage is really diverse – Verona received the status of “little Rome” quite deservedly. We have compiled the best route and highlighted the most interesting places in the city so that you can embrace the immensity in 24 hours.

Church of San Fermo

When hearing about the Basilica of San Fermo, most people think of the masterpieces of the upper church, which is a brilliant example of Gothic architecture. It is in the upper halls that the mausoleum of the Della Torre family is located, the brilliant sculptural group “Lamentation of Christ”, frescoes by Pisanello. However, only in the lower church the spirit of the Benedictine order of the eleventh century has been preserved.

The ponderous Verona Romanesque architecture contrasts with the wooden ribbed ceilings of the upper nave. More ancient frescoes have been preserved here, for example, “Madonna enthroned with a child and two Saints”, as well as a number of tombstones, securely covered with a dense “forest” of pilasters and columns. A standard ticket will cost you 2.50 euros. The church is open from 8:30 to 18:00 in summer and from 10:00 to 17:00 in winter.

Museum and Castle of Castelvecchio

On the left bank of the Adige is the brightest example of Gothic architecture during the reign of the Scaligers. Built as a fortification, it fulfilled its original purpose until the beginning of the twentieth century, when instead of army barracks it was decided to place museum collections here, which you can see by paying 6 euros.

There are still remains of ancient Roman buildings made of red brick. You can see an extensive collection of sculptures in the Romanesque style. There is also a collection of paintings, the pearl of which are the works of Pisanello. Connoisseurs are guaranteed to be interested in paintings and frescoes of the fourteenth century. The museum is open daily from 8:30 to 19:30. On Mondays, the working day starts at 13:30.

Giusti Palace and Park

The oldest palace and park complex Giusti is imposingly located among the hills near the eastern outskirts of Verona. The local palace is considered atypical due to its location at the foot of the mountain, and not closer to its top. After passing through the closed Romanesque courtyard, you can go to the belvedere and from here enjoy the panoramic view of Verona.

A little lower are terraces and an old grotto with a sculptural composition in the center. The lush gardens that surround this exquisite palace are still considered some of the most beautiful of the “Italian” gardens for which the late Renaissance period was famous. It is not surprising that Goethe fell in love with this park so much. Today it can be visited by paying 7 euros. Here is one of the oldest labyrinths in Italy, centuries-old cypresses, statues and another panoramic platform.

Porta Leoni

The Lion's Gate is considered one of the most ancient city gates of old Verona. Built back in the days of the ancient Roman conquests, they lost their original name, popping up under different names at different points in the history of Verona. They got their current name quite banally: not far from the gate there is a tomb, which is “guarded” by lions.

Facing the double façade, notice the small brick wall that rises up next door. This is a fragment of an even more ancient gate. The estimated time of their construction is estimated at the first century BC. Unfortunately, today only the right side of the facade has been preserved from the port of Leoni. The outer facade has not been preserved, but the inner facade, lined with white stone and decorated with twisted columns, still faces the forum of Verona.

Signoria Square

If you move from Piazza delle Erbe, you are guaranteed to find yourself in the historical surroundings of Piazza della Signoria, also known as Piazza Dante. Once it combined the arena for political disputes and the main administrative dominant of the historical center of Verona. The basis of the enchanting architectural complex of the square was the twelfth century Scaliger arches, which are stunning examples of the Gothic style.

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These lavishly decorated royal sarcophagi are located outside the Basilica of Santa Maria Antica. The ensemble is complemented by the loggia of the Council, for the decoration of which only the best craftsmen have always been invited, the Palace of Justice with the Lambrety Tower and a number of other structures. A Carrara marble sculpture of Dante watches over the square from a pedestal.

Arches of the Scaligers

The thin spiers of the arches that adorn Piazza della Signori instantly attract attention. Various shades of brown are organically woven into the urban landscape of Verona. These Gothic tombstones were inspired by the hanging sarcophagus, which is located near the church of Santa Anastasia. They immortalized the rulers of the Scaliger family, who were in power during the Middle Ages.

The tombstone of Cangrade I is considered one of the most outstanding examples of Veronese sculptural thought. The author of this fine work has remained unknown, although most art historians tend to authorize Regino. The Cansillorio arch has a hexagonal outline and is decorated with twisted columns. And finally, the Mastino II arch is a light structure on which angels and the deceased ruler himself sit.

Cathedral

One of the most beautiful cathedrals of the city of Romeo and Juliet is the Cathedral of Verona, which combines the features of the Romanesque and Gothic styles. The marble façade, which is unusually complex in terms of composition, consists of three buttresses. The oldest of them was decorated in the eleventh century by Nikolaus. The exterior Romanesque-Gothic design turns into Baroque and Renaissance interiors.

The whole cathedral is like a painted canvas: white and red marble columns, arches with tympanums, prophets and magical creatures, images of the Virgin Mary and Saints. Of particular note are the organs, of which there are two in the cathedral. Gilding and intricate carvings are complemented by sixteenth-century paintings. The price of the entrance ticket is 2.50 euros. The cathedral is open from 10:00 to 17:30 from Monday to Saturday.

Santa Anastasia

The largest church in Verona belonged to the Dominican order. It is located in the oldest part of the city on a stretch of road near the Ponte Pietra bridge. Once there was another basilica, but at the beginning of the thirteenth century it was transferred to the order, and the construction of a new building began. In the external design, the high spire of the bell tower and the sarcophagus of Guglielmo di Castelbarco of the fourteenth century catches the eye.

Be sure to visit the interior of the basilica – the “hunchbacks of St. Anastasia” – grotesque sculptural compositions as famous as the North Dame gargoyle – any company will be welcome. The floor of the church is also a piece of art – a brilliant mosaic of blue-gray, white and pink marble partially repeats the facing of the portal and is the creation of Pietro da Porlezza.

Verona Card for 24 hours: Arena di Verona skip-the-line and Juliet's balcony – 20€
Bus hop-on hop-off tour, ticket for 24 hours – 20€
Gardaland amusement park and SEA LIFE: skip-the-line ticket – 39, 5€
Skip-the-line access to Lamberti Tower – 8€

Arch of Porta Borsari

Another ancient gate of Verona, partially preserved to this day, was erected as a military outpost in the southern tip of the city. Behind the ancient Roman facade that has come down to us, barracks should have been located. Already at the time of its creation, the gates of Porta Borsari were richly decorated. This was due to their location – at the intersection of two main streets of Verona, which stretched from south to north and from east to the smell. Today, the remains of a small antique courtyard, which adjoined close to the gate, have also been preserved. If you carefully examine the lower tier of structures, then between the two arched openings you will notice the inscription “Colonia Verona Augusta” carved on the stone. The inscription was made by an unknown person, but dates from the middle of the third century AD.

Palace of Maffei

The main decoration of Piazza delle Erbe is the Maffei Palace. It is located on the site of the former Roman Forum and the Capitoline Hill. According to the original plan of the fifteenth century, the palace was supposed to be two-story, but the plans were eventually changed, and today the palace has three floors. It is noteworthy that the almost two-century break in construction did not violate the architectural organicity – the baroque pomposity ideally suited the richest family of Verona.

A spiral staircase made of stone connects the cellars and the roof. It is noteworthy that it was built without a single support. And on the roof there is an excellently preserved balustrade with sculptures of ancient Roman gods and heroes. Today, the Maffei Palace is not a museum. It houses the apartments of Palazzo Maffei Verona.

Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore

This masterpiece of the Romanesque style appeared on the architectural map of Verona as early as the seventh century. The monumental building of the basilica became the burial place of Bishop Zenon, who was canonized as a saint. It is noteworthy that the crypt where the remains of the bishop are kept looks really ominous: the decayed bones still rest in a transparent sarcophagus, and in the evenings the crypt is illuminated. Bas-reliefs, statues, skillful carvings – all this appeared on the facade of the basilica much later than its creation.

The very same facade, made of pink marble and golden tuff, looks majestic and somewhat ponderous. The cost of a ticket to the basilica is 2.50 euros. From March to October it is open for tourists from 8:30 to 18:00, on Sundays it opens at 12:30. In winter, the basilica closes an hour earlier.

Piazza delle Erbe

Piazza delle Erbe or Grass Square is comfortably located on the ruins of the ancient forum. During the day, it literally boils because of hundreds of thousands of tourists who want to see the most central square of Verona with their own eyes. Therefore, it is better to postpone the walk until the evening, namely, until Sunday evening. Why until this day? Everything is pretty simple.

Sunday is the best day to settle down in Osteria al Canton with a glass of Italian wine and fully enjoy the beauty of Piazza delle Erbe. After all, it is on Sundays that all sorts of stalls disappear, and nothing prevents you from considering in detail the solemn beauty of the Mazzanti Palace, the Lamberti Tower, the Madonna Fountain and other dominants of the square.

Wall of Love

To approach Juliet's balcony, you will have to dive into a small arched passage, the walls of which are covered with thousands of declarations of love from the ground and almost to the beam ceilings. There are so many inscriptions that they crawl one on top of the other and mix into one multi-colored multilingual mess. The wall appeared as if in opposition to Shakespearean tragedies – local Romeo and Juliet meet their happy ending or happy beginning in Verona. Even if you arrived in Verona without your soulmate, do not be discouraged – many write here not only confessions, but also wishes of love – to themselves and their loved ones.

Juliet's house

Oddly enough, but the great playwright himself, who gave the world “King Lear”, “Hamlet”, “Romeo and Juliet” and other widely known plays, never visited Verona. But fans of the play about lovers, whose misfortune was destined by the stars, decided that since the actions were to take place in Verona, it was really necessary to find a suitable entourage for them. And so the house of Juliet appeared, or rather, the house of the Capello family.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists daily rush to a small courtyard, where, under a carved balcony, Romeo in love confessed his feelings. There is also a bronze statue of Juliet, whose right breast must be touched for good luck. You can enter the courtyard for free, but a tour of the house will cost 6 euros. Tours are held from 8:30 to 19:30 on all days except Mondays. On Mondays Juliet's House opens at 13:30.

Lamberti Tower

This tower continues to maintain the status of the tallest building in Verona, but it was not always so. It was named after the Lamberti family, who financed the construction. The skeleton of the future tower was laid in the twelfth century. Then it was supposed to become part of the Rajone Palace, but during a thunderstorm, the tower was severely damaged by lightning.

During the reconstruction period, as more and more new floors were completed, the craftsmen stopped at least trying to imitate the authenticity of the structure: the lower floors were built from a mixture of tuff and brick, above there were purely brick medieval walls, and then a marble bell tower. The entrance ticket also includes a visit to the modern art gallery. The full ticket price is 8 euros. Ticket offices are open from Monday to Friday – from 10:00 to 17:00 and from 11:00 to 18:15 on weekends.

Arena of Verona

Arena di Verona is a monumental pink marble amphitheater built by the ancient Romans. Today, the Arena is considered the third largest building of this type in Italy. And recently she turned two thousand years old! The architects of the past centuries did a great job – the acoustics of the Arena are so perfect that even today opera concerts are held here mainly.

Connoisseurs recognize that the Arena di Verona always plays the best productions of “Romeo and Juliet.” True, such performances are possible only in the warm season. A full ticket will cost you 10 euros. Concert tickets are paid separately. Usually the price varies from 24 to 100 euros. Tours are held from 8:30 to 19:30. On Mondays, the Arena opens at 13:30.

Palazzo della Ragione and the most photographed staircase

The Palace of Reason is a historic building that, since its construction in the twelfth century, has managed to survive several destructions, but at the same time managed to defend its unusual authentic appearance. The square palazzo occupies more than two thousand square meters, which made it one of the largest buildings of the Middle Ages.

Despite the fact that the palazzo is attributed mainly to the Romanesque style of architecture, the facade overlooking Piazza delle Erbe is made in the neoclassical style, while the second facade has absorbed the features of the high Renaissance. The main tower can only be reached by climbing a huge marble staircase. A visit to the interior, where frescoes, canvases and various sculptures are concentrated, will cost you 8 euros. In summer, the palazzo is open from 11:00 to 19:00, in winter the working day is reduced by two hours.

Castle of St. Peter – observation deck

The fortress, built on the site of a former Roman temple, was named after the Apostle Peter. Its location was not accidental – the hill on which the castle stands is rounded by the Adige River and is high enough to see the whole of Verona. These two qualities were of the greatest strategic value. The modern observation deck offers a truly fantastic view of the city. The castle was neglected for many years, and now active restoration work is being carried out on its territory. According to the current plan, a museum is to be opened under the vaults of St. Peter's Castle. Entrance to the castle grounds is free, but expect a rather grueling climb – the funicular has not been operating for many years.