In August 2014, we stayed at the wonderful Albergo Aurora, located in the heart of Verona on Piazza dell'Erbe. The hotel offers views of the bustling piazza.
Nearby attractions include the Palazzo Maffei, the Torre del Gardello, a Venetian column bearing the Lion of St Mark, the Piazza dei Signori, which is surrounded by magnificent medieval buildings, and the Torre dei Lamberti, which offers magnificent city views.
We enjoyed a historical performance of Aida from 1913, a four-act acoustic and visual highlight. The Arena di Verona, a former Roman amphitheatre, is located on Piazza Bra. This bustling tourist hotspot is the city's central square. Adjacent to it is the Palazzo Gran Guardia, where we visited an exhibition on the painter Paolo Veronese (1528–1588). Verona is surrounded on three sides by the River Adige, which is spanned by ten bridges.
In the traffic-calmed city centre, you will come across relics from the Roman, Ostrogoth, Lombard, Carolingian and Scaliger eras, including the imposing Castelvecchio. You will also inevitably find your way to the Casa di Giulietta, a popular attraction for fans of Romeo and Juliet.
Verona has four well-known churches. The Gothic brick church of Sant'Anastasia is impressive, boasting a double portal, while the Romanesque basilica of San Zeno Maggiore has a magnificent cloister. The Gothic Duomo Santa Maria Matricolare houses Titian's altarpiece, 'Assunta'. San Fermo Maggiore church was built over the early Christian Chiesa Inferiore and, like the Chiesa Superiore, has a vaulted wooden ceiling. The Renaissance Giardino Giusti garden on the opposite bank of the Adige is the perfect place to relax.
We spent a day visiting the neighbouring city of Padua, which has a long-standing university and charming little shops tucked away in its long building arcades. Of particular interest are the Cappella degli Scrovegni, which contains well-preserved frescoes by Giotto dating from 1303 to 1305, and the Teatro Anatomico, the world's oldest lecture theatre. The seven-row hall is tiny and extremely steep. You can browse culinary shops in 'Il Salone' on Piazza della Ragione.
