 Enter the land of the greatest love story in
Shakespearean terrain. If it is unfulfilled love you seek , you
have come to the patron saint. Romeo and Juliet supposedly played
in their lives in 3 romantic Acts in this land and you can join
millions in paying tribute -if only to rub on Juliet's
painting.
Much of the settings are gone .What remains is the diligent
efforts of the townspeople to still the clock. Its renaissance
glory permeates into every brick as you tour this city of
splendorous medieval palazzo, towers, churches and stage like
piazzas.
The attractions in your travel to Verona are many.
Arche Scalegeri (Scalegri
Tombs)
Dog lovers rejoice, if you thought your canine should be
lavished with luxuries, you have come face to face with a kinder
spirit. The dog obsessed Scaligeri family built these tombs as
ultimate funerary tribute to this departed quadrupeds. The raised
out door tombs infact ritualized their contention for equal rights
for dogs -in a lavish life style as well as death. Mastino I,
Mastino II and Cansignorio their beloved dogs have been entombed in
magnificence fit for their titles and affections. Not surprisingly,
on the tomb of Cangrande I we see the Scaligeri coat of arms and
the ladder symbolic of the bestowal of high honors.
Arena di Verona
The pink marble structure may be a distant second to Rome's
Colosseum, but it's far better preserved. In its heyday, 2000
people congregated here to hear speeches, watch opera or big
gladiatorial contests. The acoustics can do any modern concert hall
proud. No microphones are needed and watching an Italian opera in
this setting is a sublime experience.
Basilica San Zeno Maggiore
The church dedicated to city's patron saint is perhaps the best
example of Roman architecture. It certainly is the most popular.
Most of the local populace flocks here for succor, hope and thanks
giving. The architects seem to have known this long ago.
Accordingly they have built two pillars supported by marble doors
on the outside. The doors were probably first ever castings in
bronze and bronze since Roman antiquity. Even when the doors are
closed crowds could learn from the illustrated scenes from the old
and new testaments on the façade. The rose window Ruota Della
Fortuna (Wheel of Fortune) is more sublime but equally
illuminating. The cavernous interiors are filled with 12th- to
14th-century frescoes and crowned by the nave's ceiling, designed
as a wooden ship's keel. Don't miss the Madonna and Child Enthroned
with Saints by Andrea Mantegna (1459),
Basilica di Sant'Anastasia
The largest church is done in Gothic style and is remarkable
even with an unfinished façade. The 14th campanile bell tower
allures with its frescos and sculptures. The interiors also follow
the gothic pattern and are marked by two famous gobbi (hunchbacks)
that support the holy-water fonts, an impressive patterned
pavement, and 16 side chapels containing a number of noteworthy
paintings and frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries.
The chapels at the side are also adorned with frescos and
paintings. Feast your eyes on Pisanello's St. George Freeing the
Princess of Trebisonda
Casa di Giulietta (Juliet's
House)
The story may be apocryphal and the house an invention. But
Juliet- worshiping continues regardless. The simple courtyard and
the sidewalks are the place to visit for the worshippers of cupid.
Quotations from Shakespeare form the graffiti filled background for
the simple interiors replete with ceramics and furniture. The
balcony was added to the palazzo much later.
Teatro Romano (Roman Theater) and the
Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum)
It is the original Roman theatre and is the oldest monument in
Verona. It can still transport you back in time when the lights are
switched on, the dialogues flow as actors etch out the lines. Romeo
and Juliet at the theatre is an experience of another kind.
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