“Verona’s secrets: history and hidden gems”
Join your locally licensed professional guide an informative and dynamic walk through the town centre of Verona with live monolingual commentary. Focus your attention on the important details one usually overlooks and fully enjoy the sights as you walk through the main landmarks, as well as several hidden charming corners.
Follow a logical thread that will allow you to go through your path as if you were reading the script of an intriguing film plot. Indeed, the story is precisely the history of Verona, which unfolds for more than 2000 years, and has chapters such as the Roman and Medieval ages to its credit, very well represented by numerous and magnificent monuments, all deserving to be discovered and properly explained for full appreciation.
Special attention will be given to the most crucial chapter: that of the two star-crossed lovers. And even in this respect, your knowledge will progress as you get plenty of anecdotes (secrets actually!) unveiled.
Details
Tour typology: semi-private for up to 10 participants.
Timing: Monday to Friday at 10:30 am and 3:30 pm.
Length: 120 minutes.
Language: only in English.
Costs per person: €35 per adult; €20 for ages 6-12; free of charge for children under 6.
Payment: off your Guide before starting.
Inclusions: Tourist Guide licensed in Verona.
Meeting point: Piazza Bra, in front of the town hall (Palazzo Barbieri) just underneath the Italian Flag.
Booking: necessary.
Itinerary
The itinerary begins in Piazza Bra. After staring at the Arena, instead of taking the commercial street as most people do, we will head towards the oldest road in town, which has always played the role of the local development axis: the Corso, alongside which several major sights lie, like the imposing medieval castle with its bridge (Castelvecchio with Ponte scaligero), that we’ll admire from the riverside nearby.
We’ll be then able to spot the early medieval city walls which protected the village in the troublesome dark ages and to stare at the most beautiful roman sight in town, the remains of the main roman citygatehouse (Porta Borsari), through which we’ll enter the Roman part of the town. We’ll discover how the Roman street planning goes back to the Jules Caesar’s time whilst most buildings date back to medieval time, although looking different nowadays due to the modern times restorations.
We’ll reach the oldest and most beautiful square in town (Piazza Erbe) where to admire the most beautiful frescoed façade and the most beautiful baroque one too, the oldest fountain with “Madonna Verona” Roman statue and the former official city measures. After discussing the etimology of the square’s name we’ll head to the backside of Case Mazzanti, where one can admire an early modern well with connections to the balconies nearby, for then heading one more time towards the river, where to stare at the Saint Peter Hill, the remains of the Roman Theatre, the oldest Roman bridge in town (Ponte Pietra) and the stunning late medieval citywalls introducing us to the most extraordinary time period for Verona. We’ll face it in Piazza dei Signori, with its stunning buildings (Palazzo della Ragione, Torre dei Lamberti, Loggia del Consiglio, Palazzo del Capitano, Palazzo della Scala) and mausoleums (Arche Scaligere). You’ll discover that it’s the same time period in which the story of the two stars-crossed lovers lived and died (Casa di Romeo, Casa di Giulietta). Are you really sure that these characters were just invented by Shakespeare? About this crucial topic and much more we’ll talk during our visit which will help you get to know the authentic, charming Verona.
ProVeronaGuide 