Um passeio a pé de um dia por Verona, Itália

Chegando em Verona, Itália, depois de apenas uma hora de viagem de trem de Milão, fiquei muito feliz. Verona sempre esteve na minha lista das 10 cidades mais visitadas. Como não poderia ser? Afinal, tenho uma espécie de obsessão por “Romeu e Julieta” de Shakespeare.

Os edifícios de Verona preservaram o sentimento histórico da cidade, enquanto as lojas o equilibram com um sentido de modernidade. A Itália sempre foi conhecida por ser uma meca das compras, mas Verona elevou isso a um nível totalmente novo para mim. As ruas charmosas, a história e a elegância da cidade me deixaram querendo mais.

Devido aos “amantes infelizes” de Shakespeare, a cidade de Verona tornou-se bastante popular. Rick Steves, um autor americano e personalidade televisiva que se concentra em viagens pela Europa, disse melhor: Verona é “a cidade do romance”. É a quarta cidade mais visitada da Itália – e isso é compreensível. Continue lendo para conhecer alguns dos lugares imperdíveis que experimentei neste destino incrível. Cada um fica a 5 a 15 minutos a pé do outro, e você pode ver todos eles em um dia (bem cheio).

Anfiteatro Arena (Anfiteatro Romano)

Este impressionante anfiteatro romano fica no coração da Piazza Bra e deve ser a primeira parada de todos. Foi construído na primeira metade do séc.^stSéculo DC, que é o período que marca o fim do império de Augusto e o início do de Cláudio.

Ao passar pelo arco e entrar neste anfiteatro incrivelmente grande, fiquei maravilhado. Não porque foi o 3^rdMaior anfiteatro da Itália depois do Coliseu de Roma e do anfiteatro de Cápua, ou porque produzia uma acústica impecável devido ao seu formato elíptico. Não, foi por causa de todo aquele mármore. Todo o anfiteatro foi construído com blocos quadrados de mármore!

Subimos pelas fileiras de assentos até o topo para ver a famosa vista linda, mas quando voltamos todos nos perguntamos a mesma coisa: como diabos iríamos descer sem escorregar? Sim, os blocos de mármore são maravilhosos e lindos – mas também perigosos. Especialmente quando você estámimE tem tendência a tropeçar nos próprios pés. Então, decidi descer bloco por bloco deslizando com a bunda, assim como alguns outros.

Se puder, marque uma visita quando houver uma apresentação. A arena acolhe muitos concertos, no entanto, é o Festival Arena di Verona (Verona Arena Festival) que você também deve estar ansioso. É um festival de ópera de verão, que começou em 1936. Apresentações de ópera e balé acontecem de junho a setembro de cada ano. Aqui está uma lista de apresentações e datas que acontecerão durante o festival deste ano:

19 de junho a 5 de setembro:Nabucco é um título em quatro atos muito apreciado pelo público de Verona. É baseado nas histórias bíblicas do Livro de Jeremias, do Livro de Daniel e da peça de 1836 de Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois. A performance é dirigida por Riccardo Frizza e Julian Kovatchev.

10 de junho a 6 de setembro:Aida é um título de quatro atos baseado em um cenário creditado ao Egiptólogo Francês Auguste Mariette. Apresentado por quatro maestros diferentes: Andrea Battistoni, Julian Kovatchev, Omer Meir Wellber e Daniel Oren.

26 de junho a 14 de agosto:Tosca é um título de três atos sobre amor E perda. conta a história do amor entre Floria Tosca, famosa cantora de ópera, E Mario cavaradossi, pintor e ativista político. Conduzido por Julian Kovatchev.

4 de julho a 12 de agosto: Don Giovanni é um título de dois atos, baseado nas lendas de Don Juan, um “libertino fictício”. Conduzido por Stefano Montanari.

1º de agosto – 4 de setembro: Il Barbiere di Siviglia: é um título de dois atos baseado na comédia francesa de Pierre Beaumarchais, Le Barbier de Seville. Conduzido por Giacomo Sagripanti.

8 de agosto a 3 de setembro: Romeu e Julieta: Um título de cinco atos baseado nos amantes infelizes de William Shakespeare: A Tragédia de Romeu e Julieta. Conduzido por Daniel Oren.

Mais informações sobre desempenho e ingressos.

Via Mazzini Shopping

Heading away from the spectacular arena, and only a six minute walk, awaits Via Mazzini. It is one of the most stunning streets I have ever seen — and also one of the busiest. With so many boutiques lining the road, which is all marble of course (the Italians just love their marble!), you could literally shop until you drop here.

Via Mazzini was lined with warehouses and barracks until the 19^th century. The ground would turn into a mud field when it rained. That was when the city government paved it with marble, and the street rose to such fortune. Modern stores popped up and now on your left you had Burberry and to your right Gucci. Not bad. Nowadays, all the major Italian fashion brands are represented. If you’re looking for the latest in Italian fashion, you’ll find it here.

The shops on Via Mazzini are on the pricier side, but even if you don’t feel like blowing $20k on a new dress, it’s still a great place to window shop. Walking into one of the stores dedicated to baby’s clothes, wondering what I should buy for my cousins, I headed upstairs and found a sofa with Audrey Hepburn’s face on it. It was a great touch to such a chic store. Each shop presented something unique.

Casa di Giulietta

Admit it. After watching ‘Letters to Juliet’ starring Amanda Seyfried you couldn’t wait to go on your own adventure in Verona to find your soulmate. If not, watch the movie. It’s an incredibly cute chick-flick that will have you booking your ticket to Verona immediately.

After having yourself a mini shopping spree take a three minute walk towards Casa di Giulietta. Enter through the archway to visit Juliet’s house, which was owned by the family dell Capello and dates back to the 13^th century. You will see the original family coat of arms on the wall, however, the balcony was added in the 20^th century. Inside the house is a museum, but it’s the bronze sculpture of Juliet in the courtyard that all tourists want to see. Oddly, it’s become ‘a thing’ to rub her right breast for luck. Seriously.

Make sure to check out the little mailbox by the Casa Di Giulietta merchandise store, where you can write your own letter and (hopefully) receive a reply. If you’ve visited with a loved one, you can purchase a lock and key to place on the gates to the house — a sweet and superstitious gesture. Interestingly, the store allows you to stitch your name into almost anything you purchase, which makes for a super thoughtful and unique gift to bring home with you, which is what I did.

Piazza dei Signori

When visiting Verona for just one day, you may not have time to visit museums for a long period of time, however, you can enjoy the views from the outside, as well as hang out on the gorgeous piazzas and take in the history.

Leaving Casa di Giulietta, take a four minute walk towards Piazza dei Signori through Piazza Erbe, which is a beautiful city square filled with sculptures, historic buildings and market stalls selling just about everything. The atmosphere on Piazza Erbe is lively, and you’ll likely find yourself surrounded by hundreds of tourists, as well as locals.

An archway leads Piazza Erbe into Piazza dei Signori. The whale’s rib bone has been hanging for 1000 years under that arch, right behind Dante’s sculpture. According to legend, the bone will fall only when someone walks under it who has never told a lie. Pretty cool stuff, right? But, if you’re not into legends, the piazza does include buildings from the 12th and 17th centuries that surround the four sides. It’s a great place to relax, enjoy some snacks from the market stalls, and just people watch.

Ponte Pietra

This impressive stone bridge was built originally in wood, then later on in white and pink stone. It’s only a seven minute walk away from Piazza dei Signori, and worth the walk for the sweeping panoramic view of Verona. The right bank was built in the middle ages and then destroyed in the second world war, and that side alone was rebuilt shortly thereafter. When I got up close I could see some of the original materials that had been kept even after the rebuild.

The mixture of red brick and white stone is what, in my opinion, makes the bridge such an impressive sight. The coming together of various architectural styles, which highlights the different historical periods that make the bridge memorable.

Castel San Pietro

Once you’ve made it to the Ponte Pietra bridge you will want to walk for six more minutes to get to Castel San Pietro. It is here where Verona was founded. On top of this green hill, crowned by cypresses, is where the remains of the first settlements, which date back to the 7th century B.C., can be found.

At the top of this hill stands the Austrian Fortress created in the 19th century. To head to the top and view the Fortress face to face, you can take the stairway near the Roman Theater. However, you can only see the castle from the outside; it is unfortunately not open to visitors.

Looking down, I took in the incredible view and experienced the feeling of having Verona right beneath my feet. The roads, walls, historic buildings and towers… It’s one place you must make time for.

Gelato Pretto

So, you can’t go anywhere in Italy without trying gelato, right? Plus, after all that walking, and the extra 15 minutes you’ll need to get here, you will want to have something to cool you off. But not all gelato is created equal – believe me! Pretto is absolutely mouth-watering. I found this particular gelato store while in Piazza delle Erbe and I have to say that of all the gelato shops I’ve tried, this by far is my favourite.

Their gelato is smooth and beautifully crafted. The Pretto website states that they make their gelato without preservatives, colourings or artificial flavours. From a chic looking shop, gourmet gelato, to great customer service this is one gelateria you can’t miss. I had the Stracciatella gelato and all I can say is wow. Yes, some say it’s similar to our chocolate chip ice-cream, but I am here to tell you — it’s not even close.

The chocolate pieces included in this gelato are phenomenal: small, yet chunky in the smoothest way. It melts right in your mouth and looks delicious too. As the day slowly came to a close, the Pretto Gelato Arte Italiana shop was the perfect cherry on top to a great few hours in Verona.

Caffé Borsari

If you’re a coffee lover like I am, you will want to try Caffé Borsari’s coffee, which is said to be the best in Verona. It takes only a minute to get there from the Pretto Gelato Arte Italiana shop.

Originally titled Tubino, this café is something you can’t miss. Walking in I instantly felt calm, especially after walking through crowds of tourists. The rustic and homey feel of the café instantly put me at ease… not to mention the coffee was absolutely delicious.

The café is just down the street from Piazza delle Erbe. It is –quite literally– a paradise of coffees, hot chocolates, teas, and pastries. It offers classic blends, caffeine jolts and coffee with a twist with flavors including chestnut, ginseng, and chocolate orange.

The shop only provides a few marble tables inside, however a spot can be easily found outside. It has been a favourite spot for both locals and tourists since it’s opening in 1969 and a definite stop during your day-trip to Verona.

Castelvecchio 

To visit this magnificent sight, right after your in take of the delicious coffee at Caffé Borsari, it would only take you nine minutes to walk to the Castelvecchio Museum. This building was constructed by Cangrande II della Scala on the banks of Adige in 1354. He did this to defend Verona’s people and an to have an escape route where his Austrian relatives lived.

With 29 rooms of paintings, sculptures, weapons and more, it’s a definite must-see on your stop in Verona. The opening hours of the museum are Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30am to 6:30pm and Mondays from 1:30pm to 6:30pm.

Walking out of the Bra Gates, a bronze statue of William Shakespeare bid us farewell and the words written beside Shakespeare said:

“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.”

These were the words said by Romeo when he left Verona after being exiled. He was supposed to have left the city through the Bra Gate. Farewell for now, until we meet again, my sweet Verona.