A Return to Italy ~ Two Days in Verona - May 14 - 16, 2025

 Two Days in Verona

May 14, 2025

When I planned this trip, I decided to visit a couple of smaller towns, in addition to revisiting Venice.  Since much of our trip would be made by train, I looked at a map to get some ideas. Verona is very close to Venice and is en route to Milan, so it made sense to include it. The travel agent I spoke with (who wasn't very helpful, so I didn't end up using her) recommended the Hotel Due Torri (Two Towers). It was by far the most expensive hotel that I booked, but I decided to splurge.

Our taxi made its way through the narrow, winding streets, which were flooded with tourists, to the hotel. Immediately, the doorman stepped out, collected our luggage (two carry-ons and a tote), and whisked it away. Check-in was quick and easy, and our reception clerk, Sara, promised to make dinner reservations at a local restaurant for us before giving us the key. Our luggage was delivered to our room, which was small but lovely, with every amenity we could imagine.

The bed was very comfortable, and the armoire was large enough to hold my entire wardrobe. The bathroom was modern and spacious.

We washed our hands and headed to the Arena - about a half-mile walk away.  The day was sunny and very warm, although shady areas were just about the perfect temperature.  

The Arena in Verona

Inside the Arena

The Verona Arena is among the best-preserved ancient amphitheatres to have survived into the modern era. Its remarkable state of preservation is mainly due to systematic restoration efforts that began in the 16th century. As a result, despite numerous transformations over time, the Arena allows visitors to easily grasp the design of such buildings. These structures were meticulously engineered for their intended purpose, yet possessed an essential, understated beauty.

During the summer months, the Arena hosts opera festivals that have run uninterrupted since 1913. The rest of the year, it serves as a venue for numerous international singers and musicians.

While we were there, a young woman was singing, and the acoustics of the place were amazing. She stood in two different places, quite a distance from where Jeff stood, and you could hear every word. We are told that the seating area has 44 levels, and in its prime, it could hold 22,000 people.

The exact date of the amphitheater's construction is debated, but most historians believe it was built in 30 A.D., during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. 

Verona Arena

Piazza Bra as Viewed from the Top of the Amphitheater

I sat for a bit in a tiny park in the middle of the Piazza Bra, people-watching. There were many groups of schoolchildren (gruppi di scuola) of all ages. 

Un Gruppo di Scuola (A School Group)

There were senior citizens, young families, and local immigrants hawking a variety of goods (sunglasses, hats, etc.).  I was particularly taken by this nonno and his two nipoti.

A grandfather with his two grandchildren in the park

We were sweaty and hungry, and decided to have lunch across from the Arena. Despite reading that "sharing" a dish was frowned upon in Italy, many people shared pizzas and other "starters" -- even the Italians did it -- so we followed suit and ordered a margherita pizza, a bottle of water, a beer for Jeff, and a glass of wine for me.  I did not take a picture, but the meal was delicious.

We decided to try to find the Casa di Giulietta, which is pretty much a "tourist trap." There was a large crowd waiting to enter the house, which did not interest me, as I had read that there wasn't much to see and what was there was "invented" and not at all historically accurate. 

However, the house itself has an interesting history. It is known as "Casa Capuleti" and was owned by the noble Dal Cappello (translation "of the hat") family (as indicated by the coat of arms visible in the entrance arch facing the courtyard). 

Dal Cappello Symbol

The house, a medieval residence, dates back to the 12th century, is located on Cappello Street.  The Cappello/Capuleti names led some to believe that this was the "real" house of Shakespeare's Juliet. It was restored in 1935, when the original balcony was replaced by a more striking marble one, and some of the doors and windows were modified. The interior was completely redone.

I was interested in seeing the courtyard and the bronze statue of Juliet by sculptor Nereo Costantini.

Bronze statue of Juliet by sculptor Nereo Costantini

The streets of Verona are quite narrow and, as you can see from the pictures above, flooded with people (mostly tourists). Cars actually attempt to navigate the streets, and we were constantly moving into doorways and alleyways to allow the cars to pass us.

After walking past the Casa di Giulietta, we headed for the Torre dei Lamberti.

Views of the Torre dei Lamberti

The Torre dei Lamberti is a 276-foot-high tower that originally housed two bells: The Marangona, which signals fires, work times, and the hours of the day, and the Rengo, a larger bell used to summon the population to arms or convene the city council. Toward the end of the 1700s, two smaller bells were added - the Campana delle Ore (the bell of the hours) and the Rabbiosa, which flank the Marangona and overlook the panoramic terrace.

The tower was constructed in 1172, but in May 1403, the top of the tower was struck by lightning. Restoration did not begin until 1448, and lasted for 16 years, during which the tower was expanded. The clock was added in 1779.

I love this photo of the spiral staircase!  We took the elevator part of the way up, but Jeff climbed as far as they would let you climb.

By Paolo Monti - Available in the BEIC digital library and uploaded in partnership with BEIC Foundation. The image comes from the Fondo Paolo Monti, owned by BEIC and located in the Civico Archivio Fotografico of Milan., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48062961

Views from the Torre dei Lamberti

We wandered back to our hotel, pausing to appreciate the beauty of Verona and the magnificent, sunny, and warm day. It's impossible to capture the hillsides, the ancient buildings, and the homes.  

After a lovely nap, we made our way up to the rooftop bar of our hotel for more enchanting views of the city.

Sara, the reception desk clerk, made a reservation for us at Ristorante Greppia, a short walk from the hotel.

This photo is from the restaurant's web page, and gives an idea of the outdoor seating, which was delightful

I ordered the Risotto con Amarone della Valpolicella e zucca (Risotto with Amarone wine and pumpkin), and Jeff ordered the Spaghetti al pomodoro e basilico (Spaghetti with tomato sauce and basil).

The risotto -- perhaps the best thing I have ever eaten!

Spaghetti con pomodoro e basilico

We shared a liter of the vino di casa rosso, which, like all of the house wines we drank in Italy, was both inexpensive and delicious!

Cheese Cake

After a delicious meal, we meandered back to our hotel - a totally perfect day!

May 15, 2025 ~ Another Day in Verona

We woke to another beautiful, sunny day. Breakfast was included with our stay, so we made our way to the breakfast room, another pleasant space, where several waitresses competed to get us coffee or tea. I haven't talked much about the coffee in Italy, but I have to say that it is truly wonderful! There are, however,  "rules" about coffee - you never order a cappuccino after 11 a.m., for example, and for most true Italians, you order espresso. I, however, detest espresso, so I opt for "Americano." If I'm feeling very indulgent, I'll ask for some milk (which always comes steamed).

The breakfast is served buffet-style, and you can choose eggs and sausage, or opt for a more European-style meal with bread, ham, cheese, and salad — yes, they eat salad for breakfast!

After breakfast, we set out in search of the Funicolare di Castel San Pietro, located in the Veronetta district of Verona. The funicular opened in 1941 to provide access to the San Pietro Castle near the ancient Roman theatre, but it closed three years later due to a lack of ridership. Evidently, the castle and ruins of the Roman theater were not the tourist draw that they had hoped they would be. 

In the 2000s, the Verona municipal government explored options to reopen the long-abandoned railway. Eventually, they decided to repurpose the funicular as an incline lift, and the new service was completed in 2017. The incline lift is 590 feet long and gains an elevation of 180 feet at a 36 percent slope. The line is served by a single cabin with a 25-person capacity.

Looking up river before crossing the bridge

Ponte Pietra Over the River Adige

Crossing the Adige River

We strolled along the River Adige and eventually crossed the river. The Ponte Pietra (Italian for "Stone Bridge") is a Roman arch bridge crossing the Adige River. The bridge was completed in 100 BC. It is the oldest bridge in Verona. The arch nearest to the right bank of the Adige was rebuilt in 1298 by Alberto I della Scala. Four arches of the bridge were destroyed by retreating German troops during World War II, but were rebuilt in 1957 using the original materials.

We crossed the bridge and began to look for the funicular, starting to follow a group of hikers who were climbing a staircase before asking directions. We could have continued up the staircase to the top of the hill, but we were happy to return to the bottom and walk around the corner to the funicular!

All of Verona Alta (the upper city) dates back to medieval times and is amazingly beautiful, but this part of the city feels steeped in ancient times, with its extensive stonework and narrow, cobbled streets. There were fewer tourists than we encountered yesterday, which made our time feel more meaningful. 

The "lift" to San Pietro Castle

Although the car allegedly holds 25 people, I was glad to be at the front of the line, and even gladder that they didn't put 25 people in the car!  The ride up the hill was a quick one, and when we stepped out, the view took my breath away!

What remains of the Roman theater, set up for an opera performance

The trip back down was uneventful, so we meandered back across the bridge and headed for the Chiesa di S. Elena (Church of Saint Elena).

This cross hangs over the Baptistry.

Altar in the Baptistry

Wall paintings

This organ is beautiful! We wish we could have heard it being played.

Sixteenth-century altarpiece by Felice Brusasorzi 

Madonna Carrying the Child, with Saints Stephen, Zeno, George, and Helen 

Between 1960 and 1970, the church underwent archeological research, which revealed the walls of the presbytery of the oldest basilica in Verona, built in the 4th century by Zeno or Zenone (later canonized as a saint), bishop and future patron saint of Verona. 

I loved this small niche in the walls of the ancient church

An inviting arch seems to welcome visitors.

As we began to make our way back toward the hotel, we glanced into a lovely courtyard and decided to go inside to investigate. We watched as a group of people exited, followed by a car, followed by gates closing ... and locking behind us!  Yikes!  

Fortunately, we were not locked in ... we found another way to exit.  But it did give us a few minutes of panic.

It's hard to see because of the glare, but inside the window, workers are making pasta!

This was a little pasta shop with a few tables outside. We decided to stop and get something to eat for lunch. I held the table, right under the window, and Jeff came out with some delicious tagliatelle and a bottle of water for us to share.

Lunch!

Jeff definitely approves!  Delicious!!

Loved the large pomodoro can holding disposable utensils, napkins, and cups.  Loved even more the delicious pasta!  I'm totally spoiled by the amazing pasta we have eaten in Italy.

Back at the hotel, we spent some time in the lobby, where Jeff played the piano for about 90 minutes, while I worked on the blog.

Rooftop Bar Manager and Bartender

After a short nap, we headed back to the rooftop bar to watch a magnificent sunset (and enjoy some libations and a snack.

Earlier in the day, Jeff went back to the piano bar (Madonna) that we had passed that morning to make a reservation.

As usual, we arrive at the restaurant and are the only ones there at 7:30 p.m.

Shortly after we arrived, the waitress sat a young couple nearby. She spoke English fairly well; he did not. But we struck up a conversation, learning that they are "content creators" and had been invited to write about (and video) the restaurant and their programming. Evidently, they get to eat and drink for free ... it wasn't clear whether they were also paid for their time.  We chatted for a bit, and then another "content-creating" couple arrived and were seated closer to the performers. The couple near us asked to be moved up even closer, so they left us.

Competing "Influencers/Content Creators"

Sangria?

We should have known something wasn't quite right when our very enthusiastic waitress delivered two glasses of Sangria (which we did not order). Before we knew it, the waitress came by bearing a platter of what looked like paella - loaded with crawfish!  Of course, we did not order it. She explained that it was part of the "package deal" - sangria, the paella, and the music. Jeff explained that he had not understood that when he made the booking.  All was well; she whisked the paella away and brought us menus.

Our Waitress!

She was so much fun - dancing around the restaurant, making jokes with us and others in the audience.

The entertainment - Italian singers of Spanish songs

These guys were quite entertaining. The singer (on the left, wearing a hat) would complete a song, then raise his wine glass in a toast to the audience after each one.  The tunes had a Spanish flair, but the singing was in Italian!

The food wasn't the best we had in Italy, but it was an entertaining evening. We strolled back to the hotel in a drizzly mist and got ready for an early trip to the train station - onto our next stop ... Bergamo!