Verona is a small jewel halfway between important art cities such as Venice and Milan. It is a city that reserves many surprises, in which history and legend intertwine. Although its historical center is not very extensive, there are many monuments, buildings and squares to visit.
If you only have one day at your disposal to see this wonderful city, don’t worry! Below we suggest an itinerary that you can do on foot and that will allow you to see the main attractions.

Verona walking itinerary:
– Piazza Bra
– Piazza Erbe
– Piazza Dante
– Arche Scaligere
– Juliet’s house

For our itinerary, we choose a classic route, starting from Piazza Bra, where the perhaps best-known monument of Verona stands, namely the Arena . This Roman amphitheater, dating back to the first century, has become the symbol of the city and observing it from the outside, one realizes the grandeur it must have had at the time.
Piazza Bra is the largest square in Verona, and many historic buildings overlook it, coming from different eras. In the center you can see the statue of Vittorio Emanuele II, built-in 1883 to remember the sovereign who unified Italy. Behind it is the Fountain of the Alps, donated by the Germans on the occasion of the twinning between Verona and Munich.

In front of it is Palazzo Barbieri, the seat of the municipality. This neoclassical building was built between 1836 and 1848; its central part is characterized by a Corinthian pronaos which can be accessed by passing through a large staircase. Above it, there is a triangular bridge in which the city coat of arms is inserted.
Turning your gaze to the right, you will notice the imposing building of the Gran Guardia. This palace has a length of 90 meters, with thirteen arches that support the main floor. Equipped with rooms of various sizes, conferences and exhibitions of various kinds are organized inside.
On this square is the Museum of Lapidary Maffei, one of the oldest museums in Europe, inaugurated by Marquis Maffei in 1738.

On the north-west side of the square is Liston, a large pink marble-paved sidewalk from Valpolicella. Palaces, bars, and restaurants overlook it, from whose outside tables you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Arena. Before leaving the square, take a look at the two imposing crenelated arches, surmounted by a clock, called “Portoni della Brà”. Roughly below it, on the right wall, you can admire a plaque with the words written by William Shakespeare about the city, taken from the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet”:

“There is no world without Verona walls, but purgatory, torture, hell itself. Hence-banished is banish’d from the world, and the world’s exile is death … ”

“There is no world for me beyond the walls of Verona: there is only purgatory, there is torture, the same hell. Banned from here, it is as if you were banished to the world; and exile from the world means death. ”

After walking around this large square, proceed towards Piazza Erbe. To reach it you can take the famous Via Mazzini, the main shopping street, which flows directly onto the square. Piazza Erbe (or Piazza delle Erbe) is one of the most suggestive places in Verona: for centuries the center of the city’s economic, political and social life. Its history is linked to the Roman one, in fact here was the forum, with the Campidoglio, temples and spas, connected by an arcade that housed various shops. In the following years, under the Scaligeri, it became a place of art and commerce. During the Venetian and the Austrian times, it hosted the civil and criminal court, while still maintaining the function meeting place and market. This pedestrian zone, in white marble, is 160 meters long. It overlooks the Torre dei Lamberti, the Palazzo della Ragione, the houses of the Mazzanti, and Palazzo Maffei.

The Torre dei Lamberti, built in the 11th century by the Lamberti family, is the tallest tower in the city while Palazzo della Ragione , which stands between Piazza Erbe and Piazza dei Signori, was the heart of the city’s political power. The Mazzanti houses are among the oldest in the city and were used by the Scaligeri as a granary. They are known for the ornamental frescoes on their facade, it was common in the Renaissance period when Verona was called Urbs Picta (painted city). Nowadays many of the frescoes that adorned the city’s private and religious buildings are located in the GB Cavalcaselle Museum of Frescoes . On the north side of the square you can see Palazzo Maffei, a perfect example of Baroque style, with six mythological statues on the balustrade, built with local marble.

Noteworthy is the Domus Mercatorum, built by the Scaligeri.

From Piazza Erbe pass under the arch of the Costa, from which hangs a giant whale rib, and reach Piazza dei Signori, also known as Piazza Dante. At the center of the square stands a statue dating back to 1865 that was built to celebrate the great poet who visited Verona often. This square housed the court of the Scaligeri Lordship and their palaces: Palazzo di Cansignorio, Palazzo di Cangrande, and loggia of Fra Giocondo.

The Palazzo di Cansignorio, built in the second half of the 14th century, was originally a tower house with mighty defenses. Adjacent to it is the church of Santa Maria Antica, which stands in the courtyard of the Scaligeri, and the tombs of the Della Scala family of Verona who reigned from 1262 to 1387. In front of the church stands the Cangrande palace, a complex of buildings developed on three sides, around a rectangular internal courtyard. To the left of the building is the loggia of Fra Giocondo, built at the end of the fifteenth century to house the Council of Illustrious Citizens, who ruled the city together with the Venetian Capitanio and Podestà.

After taking a tour of this wonderful square, return to Piazza Erbe and take Via Cappello until number 23, this time heading to Juliet’s house. You will soon find the gate, where tourists are eager to see the Shakespearean’s heroine. Entering the small internal courtyard you will immediately notice the balcony from which, according to the legend, Juliet appeared to talk with Romeo. If you have a little more time, you can visit the inside. For more information on the visit, timetables and prices, read here.