The northern Italian city of Verona is inextricably associated with the legend of Romeo and Juliet, the “star-crossed” lovers immortalized by Shakespeare. Verona was the third component of this summer’s introduction to northern Italy, after a too-short stay in MIlan and a wonderful week-long cycling circuit of the Dolomites.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
We had the morning at leisure, walking around Bolzano, the gateway to the Dolomites, where we started and ended our Ciclismo Classico cycling trip. We ducked into the cathedral during Mass.
Bolzano, gateway to the Dolomites, and the start and end of our Ciclismo Classico cycling trip.
Our 12:31 train on right on time, depositing us into Verona at 2:14 pm. A loud chorus of mate-seeking male cicadas accompanied our hot but thankfully short walk to the Hotel Indigo Verona – Grand Hotel des Arts. The location was good, just a short walk to the city center, but we thought the hotel looked a little tired.
Strolling the shopping district, I found a lovely Italian souvenir, a wool navy jacket from Max Mara.
Enrico, our guide from Ciclismo, had given us a lead on a dinner destination, Al Bersagliere. The pork tortellini, dressed with butter and sage, was excellent. Steve had a hearty maccheroncini pasta dish with sausage and beans and we shared an almond-crusted char and grilled vegetables, as well as a lovely local white wine, Soave Il Casale, a highly-regarded, dry white wine made in the Veneto region of Italy from the Garganega grape.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
We started the day on a small group walking tour ($245 for two) with Mauro (Maurice), a fast-talking guide full of dates and interesting facts. We met off of Piazza Bra, Bra meaning broad or large. We learned Verona’s amphitheater, L’Arena, dates back to Roman times and survived a catastrophic earthquake in the 11th century. The name Arena means sand and refers to the sand which since the time of the gladiators fills the pit of the arena. Apparently, it is still down there, now covered with a floor and chairs in preparation for the annual summer opera festival.
Our tour took in the courtyard of La Casa de Julietta.
The most famous balcony in the world? Yes, thanks to Shakespeare, Juliet’s balcony is right up there with Buckingham Palace and Eva Peron’s Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires. Certainly, Juliet’s balcony is probably the most visited tourist site in Verona.
The famous balcony overlooks the courtyard. There apparently really was a Juliet, whose family name was Cappello. The house is located on a street of the same name. In the original Shakespeare, Juliet appears at a window-Shakespeare did not specify a balcony and the word balcone (according to Wikipedia) appeared in the English language 2 years after Shakespeare’s death.
Piazza dei Signori is a square rimmed by civic buildings from virtually every architectural era. Piazza delle Erbe (herb) has a long history as a marketplace square. Steve found a much-needed sun hatin the still-flourishing market.
Piazza delle Erbe (herb) has a long history as a marketplace square in Verona.
The medieval Arco della Costa (Arch of the Rib) is between Verona’s Piazza Erbe and Piazza dei Signori. This whalebone has been hanging there since at least the 1700s.
The view of Verona from San Pietro, with Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge). The Adige River winds a sinuous curve through the city.
The literal high point of our walking tour was taking a cable car up Saint Peter HIll, with a panoramic view over the city.
We headed back toward the river for lunch, landing an inside table at an attractive Michelin-recognized restaurant next to a Roman bridge of the same name, Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge). The decor featured vintage cameras and crystals and the food was good, but the service from the pretty boy waiters was indifferently competent.
Our afternoon was spent exploring the Castelvecchio Museum. The “Old Castle” of the name was built by a member (Cangrande II) of the powerful della Scala family in the 1300s, who ruled Venice from 1262-1387. It is a storied place that was beautifully restored by Carlo Scarpa over decades, beginning in 1956 until his death in 1978.
The collection of the Castelvecchio is stellar and beautifully displayed by the Carlo Scarpa design. This sculpture of Christ between Saints Peter and Paul dates to the 12th century!
At first glance, this appears to be a dog mounted on a horse. This equestrian scupture depicts Cangrande I della Scala in full armour, including his dog-topped knight’s helmet, flanked by imperial eagle wings.
Cangrande I della Scalla equestrian statue from another angle. Cangrande means Big Dog in Italian and reflects the prominence of the family and Cangrande I’s position in Veronese society, which he ruled from 1311 until his death in 1329. He was a renowned warrior and patron of the arts, most notably of Dante, who resided in Verona from 1312-1318.
Castelecchio, with another equestrian statue of Cangrande I della Scalla, with his dog-topped helmet off and a beatific smile.
Extending from the Museum of the same name, the Castelvecchio Bridge spans the Adige River. This bridge (also known as Ponte Scaligero, referring to the della Scala family) was constructed to provide an alternate escape route should there be a need for the nobility to flee. It and the Ponte Pietra were bombed by the retreating Gremans in 1945. They were rebuilt using original material recovered from the river bed.
We were hot and sweaty enough we returned to the hotel for a nap for Steve and another shower and change of clothes for me before heading out for a pre-opera dinner.
Our dinner at Locanda 4 Cuochi was excellent ((145 E, including 3 glasses of wine (total, not each!)). We went for the 59 E 5-course option, including 2 starters, first and second courses, dessert and water. Goat cheese stuffed zucchini flowers and the foccacina starter were particular standouts. We both swooned over the pistacio crumble topped saffron risotto. I loved my sturgeon course, served with a mache salad, macadamia nut pesto, green beans, capers and Bagna Cauda sauce.
They let us pick two different desserts, so we shared tiramisu and chef Perbellini’s (the only 3 Michelin star chef in Verona) millefoglie.
The opera was a trip! I hadn’t booked tickets in advance but just before leaving for Europe, we were on the beach at La Jolla Shores at Chris’ and Janice’s barbeque and ran into the Ulevitches, who raved about the Verona opera experience. We’d been persuaded when checking into the hotel to book seats in the stone perimeter of the arena (35 E, but 25 E for us seniors!) and were reminded that the hotel had cushions for us, which proved to be important. The next morning, Steve suggested we should also have worn bicycle shorts!
The crowd was cheerful and festively dressed.
Up in the ancient roman stone arena of Verona as the crowd buzzes in anticipation of the open air opera, a summer tradition.
This version of Aida is called “crystal” for its glittery costumes and high-tech lighting effects.
Space lasers? Opera, en plein air, in Verona.
The libretto is displayed on two large screens on either side of the arena, but I was surprised at the difficulty of reading at that distance.
“Crystal” version of Aida features trippy costumes and lighting effects. Notice the chorus holding evocative white hands up.
Steve lasted until intermission, between the 3rd and 4th acts. It didn’t start until 9:15 pm, and was launched by a woman in black sounding 3 loud bangs on a gong.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
We didn’t get out early, but were on our way at the crack of noon, heading to Piazza de Erbe (which we learned the prior day means, herb or plant, reflecting its longstanding status as a marketplace) and Palazzo Maffei. Palazzo Maffei is a relatively recent addition to Verona’s artistic scene. It opened in February 2020, just ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic and shut-down.
This pretty much says it all, in the entryway of Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo, which houses the collection of Luigi Carlon and includes works from antiquity to the modern era, in beautiful juxtaposition.
A beautiful stairwell, Palazzo Maffei, Verona.
Ceiling detail, Palazzo Maffei, Verona.
An artful juxtaposition: Lucio Fontana’s 1964-65 slashed painting, Spatial Concept. Waiting, next to….
Madonna and Child with Saint Peter, Dominic, Nicholas of Bari and Paul by Lippo d’Andrea.
New and old meld together splendidly at Palazzo Maffei. The 2019 book work by Chiara Dynys is called Enlightening Books. One piece I didn’t photograph: the Swarovski crystal covered chair which pays homage to a chair depicted in a Vincent Van Gogh painting which a heavy tourist sat on for a photo in April 2025 and broke.
Views from the roof of Palazzo Maffei were pretty awesome as well!
On the roof of Palazzo Maffei.
We loved Palazzo Maffei so much we had to hurry to make it to the meeting point for our scheduled afternoon wine tasting trip ($405 for two). It was an all medical group, with three critical care doctors who recently finished training, with their spouses (2 nurses and a physical therapist).
Surprise, more artwork on our wine tour on the outskirts of Verona in the Valpolicella region. In the courtyard of Farina, an Anselm Kiefer work entitled Für Paul Celan (For Paul Celan, a Romanian-born, Jewish Holocaust survivor poet, whose work (like Kiefer’s) confronts the trauma of the Holocaust.
Grapes on the vine, Farina Winery, Valpolicella region near Verona.
Our guide gave us a short list of restaurants to consider for dinner, including Antica Bottega del Vino, Al Pompiere, La Greppia and Torcolo. We made it into one of her recommendations, Osteria da Ugo, dining on their pleasant terrace (tortellini in butter with sage for me, with a green bean and fennel side, Steve went with the ragu).
Friday, July 18, 2025
Coming back from breakfast, I ran into 2 of the 3 couples from the prior day’s wine tour on the stairs at the hotel. Today was a travel day, heading to Paris for our first floating week stay in the apartment. We managed our entire transit on foot or by public transportation, starting by wheeling our luggage to the train station. The train trip was uneventful. I was surprised to be served snacks and a small bottle of water.
Arriving at Milan Centrale train station, we had then to get ourselves to Linate Airport: tram and subway combination, bus or taxi? We headed outside the station and found the bus, the last in a line up of buses. Having 5 hours before our departure, we opted to take the bus, which left 1/2 hour later.
At the airport, we were still too early to check in and unable to jettison our rolling medium-sized Away suitcases, so we took them for a walk in the airport and found a surprisingly tasty pizza for lunch (especially my whole wheat crust version with pesto and olives). After ditching the bags, we waited in the Priority Pass lounge, which if not luxurious, had the virtue of being quiet.
This was our first time flying into Orly. A subway ride later, we were rolling our entourage to the apartment for the final stage of our European summer escape!
-Marie