Hong Kong John

My tour of Italy began with Verona, a small city in the north of the country lying east of Milan. Popularised as a tourist destination largely due to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived. The first thing I noticed was the beautiful brick and stone buildings. The architecture is very Roman in style and incredibly beautiful. Verona is one of the larger cities in the Veneto region as well, and while the buildings almost gave a ‘small-town’ feel to the place, it carries on in all directions for quite a distance and gives a very grand feel to the place.

I only had 48 hours to explore as much as I could of this place before hurtling onwards to Venice, so I tried to make the most of it by immediately looking for somewhere to stay. This proved to clash with my spontaneity when most of the locals had no idea where I would be able to stay that wasn’t a 100-euro plus hotel. Lunch at a cafe by the beautiful Adige river and an hour’s worth of hunting later, I came across a beautiful place on the north side of the river, halfway up the hill towards an ancient castle. A quick look online once I got internet later revealed that the majority of ‘hostels’ in Verona are actually 10-20km away from the town centre, so it pays to do a quick bit of research beforehand! The view while heading up was great and highlighted the grander, more modern houses that were built into the hillsides surrounding the city centre.

Verona is a city steeped in an awful lot of history and this really shows when walking around the place. The entire city is a UNESCO world heritage site because of its preserved historical state, and it is a great idea to take it all in before venturing down the little nooks and crannies. For that reason, my first stop was the historic Castel San Pietro on the north side (just a little further than my accommodation), overlooking the river and the city centre beyond. The panoramic view of Verona is truly breathtaking, and for the thifty there’s even a restaurant at the top of the castle for those who are hungry.

The top of the castle is the kind of view that can mesmerise for quite a while – it would likely be a good spot to have a picnic before heading into town. Despite the commanding view, it is only a fifteen minute walk (and a fair number of stairs) to the river. There are several bridges that cross the river in Verona but the most noteworthy is the Ponte Pietra, which is a Roman arch bridge and the most historical of all the crossing points. It was badly damaged and rebuilt using original materials after World War II, and boasts some nice views looking down the river.

Crossing the bridge brought me into Verona proper, where cobbled streets stood with Roman houses lining each side. I started my journey by walking through the town centre from one end to the other, where I passed through a long street connecting several of Verona’s most famous churches. I especially enjoyed the Sant’Anastasia church, located very close to the Ponte Pietra, which was possibly the largest Gothic style church I’ve seen in my life. The churches are incredibly grand and imposing, each with its own distinct style. A common theme running through most of the churches is the layering of brick and marble in the construction of the walls and columns that decorate them.

Regardless of what direction you are walking from, it will be almost impossible to miss Piazza delle Erbe on your walk through Verona. It is a large square surrounded by shops, with a beautiful fountain and a large number of market style stalls in the centre branching outwards. In the times of the Romans, the forum of the city was located here.

This is a very good place to pick up any souvenirs that you wish to accumulate on your visit. I found most of the vendors to be honest about prices when approached with a smile and a polite manner. The restaurants surrounding the square are also of pretty good quality, and there’s many of them to choose from. If you have time to spend in Verona, try a different one each day!

Thinking of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, few tourists know that Verona is quite famous for the Roman amphitheatre known as the Arena, right in the centre of town. I believe it is the third largest in Italy after, of course, the Colosseum and a similar amphitheatre built in Capua. Don’t mistake it for a typical ruins-type tourist attraction, though – it seats 15,000 and plays host to lots of open air opera during the summer as well as events throughout the year. For more information, check out the Arena Verona website.

You are also likely to notice several ‘regulars’ amongst the crowd, including a few gladiators and other historical figures of note who are looking to charge for a photo opportunity. I normally would not indulge in such activities, however one particular person was pretty good at striking posts and I gave in.

The Arena sits on a square with an adjoining park and many restaurants alongside, no doubt to keep the audience fed and watered during the entertainment season. You will find prices here 2-3 Euros more expensive than in other parts of town, but the quality of the food does not tend to deviate much and so it’s well worth sitting down if you enjoy the atmosphere. Especially nice is the square at night, when the Arena is lit up from within its arches and lends a very rich, historical atmosphere to the square.

This finally brings me to the most famous reason for why a tourist would wish to visit Verona – the celebrated story of Romeo and Juliet. Many do not realise that the famous play by Shakespeare is entirely based on fiction; in fact, the most famous love story in the world is based on truth and you are even able to visit Juliet’s house in Verona – so there was no way I would be able to miss out on this before leaving.

The first thing I noticed when being directed to the nondescript archway that led to Juliet’s house (Casa di Giulietta, by the way) was the amount of graffiti on the walls. This was no ordinary vandalism, however. For many, the tale of Romeo and Juliet is an inspiration and many believe that leaving messages near to or on the walls of Juliet’s house will bring luck in love. The result, ironically, is something quite beautiful – while the actual house itself remains pristine (there’s a lot of respect for it), the archway leading up to the house  is entirely covered in writing – even on the roof in some places – and makes for a stark and wondrous contrast.

In the small clearing that follows the archway is a statue of Juliet. It was once suggested that putting your hand over her heart would bring good luck in love, but over time this practice devolved into what can only be described as cheeky groping as Juliet’s right breast (ironic because the heart is on the left side…) is now incredibly shiny compared to the rest of the statue. You’ll have to see for yourself, though, as I’ve managed to find a tasteful photo to include here 

The famous ‘balcony’ in Shakespeare’s play is also on display right above the statue to its left hand side (bottom of which is just visible in the photo above). You can see it in the photo I’ve taken below, although I have been informed this is likely one part of the scene that may have been slightly fabricated – the actual balcony scenes in the play may not have taken place on a balcony, and rumour has it that the balcony was added to the building much later. Any clarifications on whether this is the case would be most welcome. 

Visitors are able, for a fee of course, to wander through the house and even peer out of the balcony.

However, what I think is the coolest part of the Casa di Giulietta experience lies inconspicuously in a shop next door to the archway, nearly hidden when a tourist is focused on finding the balcony itself. The ‘Club di Giulietta’ or Club Juliet is located on the first floor up a flight of stairs in a store. At first glance it appears to be an R&J themed gift shop, but look closely. Adorning the walls everywhere are thousands and thousands of letters – written by young, old, male and female – writing to Juliet to ask for advice in love or simply to chat.

The club itself is a group of people who are enthusiasts about the story and keep it alive through meeting once a week to open, read, discuss, and individually reply to all the letters sent to Juliet!! It needs to be seen to be believed, but some of the letters on display are incredibly touching and wonderful to read. Walking through the area made me feel like I was in the inner sanctum of the feelings of hundreds of people, unreserved and honest, putting their true thoughts onto paper and sending them in. And the fact that each of them got an individual response from Giulietta is truly remarkable. I highly recommend a visit to this place that keeps the emotion and passion of Romeo and Juliet alive to present day.

A top tip: they are so used to receiving such mail that any letter addressed to “Giulietta (or Juliet), Verona, Italy” even without a postcode, will arrive at Club di Giulietta for due reading and a reply if a return address is supplied.

And so ended my brief tour of Verona, but a fantastic one it was – it is surprising how much history there is and how many things there are to see, when to most people Verona is simply the place where Romeo and Juliet was based. It’s so much more and I was glad for the opportunity! Back to the hostel I went (where the view, as you’ll see below, is magnificent just below the Castel San Pietro) for a long night’s sleep before dashing off in the morning to Venice.