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VERONA
Everything flows from via Mazzini – but not before
paying homage to the so called House of Juliet, referring
to the female character in Romeo and Juliet – Piazza
delle Erbe, the other important square in Verona: built on
the old site of the Roman Forum and characterized by the towered
medieval houses, which still carry traces of the original
frescoes and the daily market: the Colonna del Mercato (market
tower), the Berlina and the Fontana di Madonna Verona (Fountain
of the Virgin Mary) are sculptured elements that embellish
the square. On all its sides, there are also examples of houses
sitting side by side, which bring back memories of the splendid
medieval period of the city with their mullioned windows,
towers and battlements.
Go through the Arco della Costa (arch) – from the overhanging
ribbed arch move on to Piazza dei Signori, the seat of public
institutions for the city: a normal shaped square, Palazzo
Comunale dating back to the 12th century, and the Torre dei
Lamberti (towers). La Loggia del Consiglio and the Palazzo
del Governo are instead a testimony of the Rennaisance. To
the right of the Palazzo del Governo (government), you come
to the Arche Scaligere: (arches) which are the monumental
tombs, aedicule in shape, of the upper classes of Verona,
considered as some of the most decorated examples from the
last phase of the Gothic era, also known as the blooming Gothic
age.
Beyond la piazza dei Signori, you can find the Chiesa di S.Anastasia:
a grandiose Gothic building, purposely built by the Dominicans,
and erected between 1290 and 1481. From the banks of the river
Adige, behind the church, you can admire the Roman Theatre
and the hilly climb towards Castel San Pietro, one of the
ramparts of the Austrian fort. Still from the banks of the
Adige, you come to the Duomo (Cathedral), which carries signs
of Roman construction, Gothic remnants and Renaissance additions.
From the centre of the city, Piazza Bra, it’s easy to
get to Castelvecchio, purposely built by Cangrande della Scala
in 1354/57 and competed in 1375: the construction is in crenellated
brickwork, and has dungeons, courtyards and raised bridges.
Internally, there’s a section of wall left over from
the communal era; the Ponte Scaligero (bridge) behind was
destroyed by the bombardments of 1945 and reconstructed with
material recuperated from the river bed. Castelvecchio, after
an exemplary restoration taking place in 1956 by Carlo Scarpa
– architect, who here in Verona also left his mark in
the prestigious building of the local bank in Piazza Nogara
– is the seat of the Civico Museo d’Arte (Civic
Art Museum) with masterpieces of Pisanello, Stefano da Verona,
Mantegna, Bellini, Vivarini, and the renown equestrian statue
of Cangrande, not forgetting the extraordinary collecting
of medieval sculpture on the lower ground.
Just outside the centre, in a large and isolated square, you
come across the Chiesa di S. Zeno Maggiore (Church), one of
the most important buildings of Roman Italy. Next to it lie
the towers of an old Abbey and Tower, the church, a place
of the first Bishop of Verona was constructed between the
12th and 13th centuries, and the conclusive Arch is from 1398.
The important façade is decorated with raised bronzed
figures, depicting the history of the Old and New Testaments.
Its interior is sober and majestic, characterized by the spectacular
wooden ceiling, bent by steam, also likened to a ships keel
and dating back to 1386. The Pala di S.Zeno, is positioned
on the altar; a complex painting, rich in allegory, dating
back to 1459, being the work of Andrea Mantegna, who produced
one of his best masterpieces here.
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